


Sins of Our Young

by Batsutousai



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Bashing, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-10
Updated: 2012-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-25 22:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How the game could have gone if the writers weren't on crack and so set on everyone being straight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hiding Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Snafu](https://archiveofourown.org/works/213674) by [Shivani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shivani/pseuds/Shivani). 



> **Disclaim Her:** This story uses characters and settings owned by Square Enix. No money is being made from the creation of this fanfic, and no copywrite infringement is intended. Some lines may be taken word-for-word from the game.
> 
>  **A/N:** This whole fic has been beta'd by the amazing [Shivani](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Shivani) and the gorgeous [Shara Lunison](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SharaLunison).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame this entire thing on Shivani. Specifically Snafu, but also just her, to some extent, 'cause we always sit around and talk video games.  
> Anyway, everything up to this fic's start is pretty much canon. (Because Shara was a mite bit confused, this fic starts when Irvine and Squall are in the crowd outside the presidential residence, during the 'Sorceress Assassination' mission.)
> 
>  _This time_ I will do my damnedest to keep Squally IC. Swear.

Squall fought the urge to shift restlessly while they waited for Sorceress Edea to make her appearance at the podium. Next to him, Irvine was tapping out a complicated beat on the butt of his gun. Squall thought he might recognise it, but he didn't have much interest in asking, no matter how it might help time move on.

"They really expect us to run from the presidential residence to the gate?" Irvine wondered in a whisper under the roar of the crowds. Edea still hadn't appeared, but the closer it got to the time she was scheduled to give her speech, the louder they got.

Squall glanced towards the sharpshooter, then back at the balcony high above them. "Don't miss."

Irvine clenched his jaw for a second, then forced himself to relax. "I don't miss," he hissed. "But if it's outside my control, if there's some reason it doesn't go through. Then what? Hope there's a car in easy reach? Hope we get there before the others can handle her?"

"It's too late for second thoughts," Squall replied drily.

"I'm not–"

The crescendo of the crowd interrupted Irvine's response and the two teens looked up as Edea finally stepped forward, joining Deling next to the podium. Another person followed Edea, and it took them a moment to recognise her.

"H...Hey... That girl...!"

Squall blinked. "Rinoa?" _'What the fuck is she doing?'_

"Lowlifes," Edea started as the noise of the crowds diminished. "...Shameless, filthy wretches. How you celebrate my ascension with such joy. Hailing the very one you have condemned for generations. Have you no shame? What happened to the evil, ruthless sorceress from your fantasies? The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations? Where is she now? She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler." Edea laughed. "A new era has just begun."

"Idiots," Irvine muttered as the crowds roared around them, screaming their pleasure at Edea's blood-thirsty speech. "Are they so incapable of understand–?"

"Kinneas," Squall interrupted.

Irvine turned to him, eyebrows raised in silent query, but Squall had nothing else to say; he'd just wanted the taller teen to shut up.

"This is reality," Edea called, holding Deling's sparking body up for everyone to see. "No one can help you. Sit back and enjoy the show." She tossed the smoking body to one side as the crowd screamed with glee. "Rest assured, you fools. Your time will come. This is only the beginning. Let us start a new reign of terror. I will let you live a fantasy beyond your imagination."

The Sorceress left to the cheers of the masses, leaving Rinoa to fend against two gargoyles on her own.

"Hey, hey, hey, she's in trouble, big time! We've gotta go help Rinoa," Irvine hissed, grabbing Squall's shoulder.

 _'You think I don't know that?'_ Squall shook the hand off. "The parade hasn't started yet," he reminded his teammate. "The gate's not open."

"You've gotta be kidding!"

Squall shot him an unamused look. _'She got herself into this, she can either hold her own until we get there, or she'll die. It's out of my hands.'_

Irvine started tapping nervously on the butt of his gun again, quicker and with less finesse than before. Squall clenched his jaw to keep from snapping at the sharpshooter, the tapping putting _him_ on edge.

Finally, the gates opened and the float rolled out. Edea sat pleasantly in a royal chair. And, next to her...

 _'Seifer?'_ Squall almost choked on his surprise. _'But I thought–'_

"Now's our chance!" Irvine hissed, roughly grabbing for Squall's arm and falling short of the mark. "Come on! What are you waiting for? Rinoa might die!"

 _'I don't care about Rinoa,'_ Squall thought, disgusted. He allowed himself one last glance back at his rival – apparently not as dead as they'd been led to believe – before rushing after Irvine.

With the crowd's eyes focussed on the Sorceress, no one noticed a couple of teens slip through the gates and around the side of the building to where a pile of crates waited for them.

Squall motioned for Irvine to go first while he checked that Revolver was loose enough for a quick draw, but not so loose that it would fall out on the way up; he would be able to react faster on the uneven footing, while the sharpshooter would have a better chance keeping any pursuers back if he had the higher ground. It had been hard to keep an eye out for any overly watchful eyes in the crowds, but it was easy to watch each other's backs in this abandoned back alley, in spite of the noise of the crowd outside.

Once they'd reached the balcony, Squall took the lead, pulling Revolver out as he ran towards where the two Iguions stood over Rinoa's prone form. He refused to let himself wonder about her health, concerned with taking care of the two monsters, first. He was almost relieved to hear a shotgun going off behind him, pellets whizzing past his head and slamming into one of the two creations just before Revolver bit into its shoulder. Irvine was already firing again by the time Squall had freed his blade, and he turned his attention to the other monster as the second round finished the first one off.

As soon as the second one was down, Squall crouched next to Rinoa, intending to check on her status, only for her to lurch up and wrap herself around his neck, shaking with sobs. "I was scared..." she whispered.

Squall resisted the urge to shove her off, instead gently prying her arms off him and standing, dragging her along. "It's over," he offered.

"I was scared... I was really, really scared," Rinoa repeated, latching onto his arm and looking up at him with wide, watery eyes.

 _'You mentioned that.'_ Squall glanced towards Irvine, only to scowl at the amused smirk on his lips. _'Oh, great help you are, Kinneas.'_ He looked back at Rinoa and coolly commented, "You're used to battles, aren't you?"

"I couldn't... I just couldn't..." Rinoa's grip on Squall's arm tightened and he fought a wince. "I couldn't fight alone..."

 _'Then why the fuck did you come up here alone?'_ Squall snapped in his mind. Out loud, he only turned back towards Irvine and stated, "Better get going," while carefully extracting his arm from Rinoa's grasp.

Irvine nodded and Squall had managed no more than a single step before Rinoa was clinging to his arm again. Irvine turned away, but not fast enough to fully hide his smile.

Squall rubbed at the scar between his eyes and decided Rinoa wasn't going to let go without some assurance. "I haven't forgotten your order," he said, voice bland to cover his irritation. "Just stay close to me." _'Maybe this will keep her from pulling any further stunts.'_

Rinoa did relax at that and followed the two young men somewhat meekly as they slipped down onto the carousal clock.

When they reached the sniper rifle, Squall picked it up and held it out to Irvine, who had taken on a sombre air. "Irvine Kinneas, it's in your hands now," he intoned.

Irvine took the rifle and stepped slowly to his position, where he crouched down to wait, hat pulled low over his eyes.

Squall considered him for a long moment, then settled back against one of the platforms, losing himself in his own thoughts. _'So, Seifer's alive.'_ Squall glanced up at the closed automated doors above them, the memory of Seifer, standing and smiling so smugly next to the Sorceress, playing out again in his mind. _'Alive, but working with our target. Does that make him our enemy?'_ He breathed a quiet snort. _'What am I thinking? I'm a SeeD; if he intends to stand at her side, I'll go through him. That's the life I've chosen. Pull it together, Leonhart.'_

Squall brought his head back down and considered Rinoa's huddled form. _'What to do with her? It's not safe, by any means, for her to be facing off against the Sorceress. And Irvine's right, it's not sensible for all of us to make a run for the gate. I can't leave the others to face her alone, but we're SeeDs, and that's our duty. Rinoa and Irvine...'_ His eyes flickered towards the silent sharpshooter, then back towards Rinoa. _'None of this will matter if Irvine pulls through, but if he misses, or Edea blocks it somehow...'_

Squall nodded to himself and pushed away from the platform, heading towards Irvine's huddled form. He was just about to bring up Rinoa when he realised that the taller teen was...twitching. Nervously. "Hey, Kinneas, don't tell me you're getting the jitters..."

"I...I can't do it," Irvine whispered from behind his hat.

Squall muffled a groan against his hand, mind racing. _'Times like this, I wish I'd learned how to shoot for real, like Seifer did. Damn. Even then–'_

The floor shuddered and the doors above them popped open. Squall was distantly aware of Rinoa letting out a surprised sound and tumbling to the ground, but he was too busy watching as Irvine's wide, terrified eyes became visible from under the brim of his hat.

"Irvine Kinneas!" Squall snapped, throwing as much authority into his voice as he could.

"I...I can't... I'm sorry, I can't do it." Irvine looked up at Squall, then, eyes bright with self-recrimination and fear. "I always choke like this..." he whispered, as if imparting some great secret. "I try to act all cool, joke around, but I can't handle the pressure..."

Squall fought the urge to throttle the other boy. "Forget it," he growled. "Just shoot."

"My bullet... The Sorceress..." Irvine whispered, eyes going distant into his own mind. "I'll go down in history. I'd change the history of Galbadia...of the world! It's all too much..."

 _'I am **not good** at this, dammit,'_ Squall complained, reaching out and grabbing Irvine's bicep. "Enough!" he hissed, voice just sharp enough to bring Irvine from his thoughts. "Just shoot!"

"I _can't_ , dammit!" Irvine hissed back, anger flashing brightly for just a moment in pained blue eyes.

Squall took a breath, biting back his first two responses and attempting a calm tone. "Irvine, calm down," he directed, wishing his voice would be a bit more gentle, but since Irvine's expression was already clearing, it didn't seem to matter overmuch. "I don't care if you miss, we just need a signal to let us know it's our turn. Just a sign to tell the others to head for the float. Nothing more."

Irvine nodded. "Just a signal..."

"Yes," Squall agreed. He closed his eyes in relief when the sharpshooter turned and knelt, the rifle going smoothly to his shoulder.

"...Just a sign," Irvine reminded himself, then pressed the trigger.

Squall's eyes snapped open and they both watched with bated breath as the shot rang out, impacting against the shield that Irvine's indecision gave Edea the time to form.

Irvine fell back against the wall, face covered again with his hat. "...I'm sorry," he whispered.

Squall shook his head, getting up from his crouch. "It happens. Your new orders are to get Rinoa out of the city." He met the sharp blue eyes that peeked out from under the hat, both deaf to Rinoa's startled complaint. "Get her to one of the Gardens and we'll retrieve her when we can."

Irvine nodded. "You got it."

"But I can help!" Rinoa shouted, grabbing for Squall's arm.

Squall speared her with a cold look. "You asked me to protect you," he informed her in a monotone. "This is the best course for you to survive this intact. Kinneas."

Irvine lurched to his feet and held Rinoa back as Squall turned and jumped off the clock to the podium. From there, he jumped down into the writhing crowd, finally awakened from their frozen moment of awe over the Sorceress and revolting. He jumped into a nearby car, sparing a moment of humour for Irvine's earlier comment, and spun it towards the lowered gate, uncaring if the car took damage when crashing against it.

The others were already up on the float, trying their damnedest to reason with Seifer _and_ defend themselves from both Edea and the blond gunblader. Squall vaulted up and blocked a swipe that almost detached Selphie's head and snapped, "I've got Seifer! Take out the Sorceress!"

"But, Squall–" Quistis started, eyes uncertain.

" _Now_!" Squall snapped, parrying another of Seifer's moves. He didn't have the attention to spare while facing this man, and he knew it. The other three could handle Edea, but he needed to know they _would_.

Edea assisted Squall in stealing the others' attention by tossing an icy attack at them, forcing them to leave Seifer and Squall's duel while they squared off against the more dangerous opponent.

Without the often questionable sparring parameters hanging in the air between them, Seifer and Squall utilised magic and underhanded tricks that they'd never have tried in the past. Seifer's one fireball was nothing, compared to the slew of ice and fire magic the two traded, or the kicks and hidden knives that tossed them off balance. Even the turns of their blades had changed, aiming for fatal hits instead of the non-fatal 'first blood' they usually called at.

Squall finally brought Seifer down with the poison he'd liberally coated his blade with earlier that evening, before they'd headed out. Seifer knelt before Squall, wounds bleeding an angry green and leaning against Hyperion, green eyes cool with the knowledge that this was the end as Squall drew Revolver back for the final cut.

A flash of cold went up Squall's spine and he suddenly realised there was a pike of ice lodged in his right shoulder. _'What?'_ he thought as the world tilted around him. He got one last glimpse of green eyes before they fell out of sight, surprised to see horror and fury reflecting in them.

Pain shocked through him as he crashed into the roadway beneath the float. He heard the other three screaming his name, but darkness was starting to set in around his vision. _'How ironic,'_ he thought before letting the darkness block everything out. _'Just when I was about to win...'_

-0-

Squall woke feeling sick to his stomach and dizzy from blood-loss, but in no pain. _'What?'_ He pushed himself into a sitting position and took a moment for the room to settle before looking down at his shoulder. There was an impressive hole through both shirt and jacket, crusty with old blood, but the wound the ice pike left had healed over, leaving only a pale circle of skin as reminder that it had ever been. Likewise, the other wounds he'd received at Seifer's hand had been healed over, leaving behind a few new scars and the rips and dried blood to mark their passage.

 _'I'm...alive?'_ Squall reached up and touched the new skin on his shoulder, flinching at the strange chill that radiated from it. _'How? Why?'_ His eyes darted around the small room, taking note of the tiny latrine and lack of amenities. _'Prison, then. Ransom, or information? SeeD doesn't ransom, so information.'_ He shook his head. _'What about the others? They should have been captured too, but they may have been killed. Maybe they're being interrogated now..._

 _'Did Irvine and Rinoa make it away? Please let them have escaped. Rinoa would never last under torture, and Irvine... I don't know what sorts of classes they have at Galbadia Garden. Are they prepared for torture? Can you ever, really, be prepared for torture?'_ Squall let out a humourless chuckle and shook his head.

 _'Come for me, first,'_ he silently pleaded their captors. _'I'm the leader, I'm the one in charge. Come for me first and I'll hold out as long as I can. Give the others time to escape. If they can.'_

The room jerked and Squall fell forward onto the ground, thrown off balance. He closed his eyes against the movement, stomach and head both rebelling at the continued motion. A headache had begun to form from the grating whine of machinery by the time it stopped, and Squall didn't even bother looking up when the door of the cell opened.

A hand reached under Squall and used his shirt to pull him up. He got a good look at burning green eyes before Seifer whispered, "Squall, you're pitiful," and tossed him against the wall.

Squall grunted, pain flaring up his back. When he landed on the hard bed, he didn't bother moving, not even sure he could.

"Take him away!" Seifer shouted and four paws reached out to carry Squall out.

There was some manoeuvring involved, but Squall was soon enough strapped high against a wall, metal bands biting into his wrists and ankles. He'd considered attempting escape once or twice, but he hadn't been certain that his body would be able to manage it, and he needed to give the others time to escape. Assuming they were even there and alive.

Seifer came strutting out in front of Squall, full of smirks and righteous superiority. "I'm sure you can imagine what happens now."

Squall allowed a gleam of amusement in his eyes, because they had shared their class on resisting torture, and this was a classic textbook set-up. "What do you want?" he asked. There was no reason to suffer pain if there was a simple answer, after all. _'It's not like I know any particular secrets. I don't even know where Rinoa and Irvine might be.'_

Seifer considered him for a moment, then asked, "Tell me what SeeD is. Edea demands to know."

Squall blinked. "What?" _'We're mercenaries, combat specialists. Selling our skills to the highest bidder...'_

"What is SeeD?" Seifer repeated.

"...Don't you already know?"

"I'm not a SeeD. There must be some kind of secret you're told when you become a SeeD!" Seifer ranted, his eyes lighting with insanity.

Squall fought the urge to jerk back, racking his mind for any secrets about SeeD. _'The Headmaster almost told us something, that day, but the faculty member stopped him. Is that what Seifer's talking about? But... I never heard what it was...'_

Seifer chuckled at Squall's silence, the insanity fading from his eyes. "You're on my 'tough-nut-to-crack' list. Didn't think you'd talk that easily."

 _'You and your lists.'_ "Geez, I'm honoured," he muttered.

Seifer's eyes glinted again with insanity. "So here's a little something for you." He motioned to one side, where a technician stood.

The cuffs warmed, then lit with electricity and Squall let out a cry as the current slammed through his body and exacerbated his mild headache. Once the current was shut off, he took a moment to be grateful for the settling of his stomach previously, even if his headache made thinking hard. At least he wasn't emptying his stomach as well.

"Even if you don't talk, others will," Seifer commented conversationally. "The instructor, the little messenger girl, or Chicken-wuss... He wouldn't last three seconds!" He laughed loudly at his little joke.

It took a moment for Seifer's words to work past the headache, but once Squall understood what he'd said, he felt something in his chest loosening. _'They're alive. Captured, but alive.'_ His eyes focussed on the smirking Seifer. _'I have to give them time to escape.'_ "Zell is... stronger than you think..." he ground out, fighting back against his headache. The hope helped, as did the need to keep Seifer distracted.

Seifer snorted, amused. "Sure he is."

"He made...SeeD..." Squall added.

Seifer's eyes flashed, anger sharpening the green for a moment before the glint of madness returned and the blond smirked. "There are better things than being an evil mercenary," he stated. "I'm the _Sorceress' Knight_ , Squally! Don't you _see_? Everything I've ever worked towards, everything I've ever dreamed of–"

"A torturer?" Squall interrupted.

Seifer's eyes flashed with anger again and he darted forward to drag Squall's face down with his Griever pendant, uncaring as the slighter teen's wrists were shredded by the cuffs. "Better a torturer than a heartless murderer," he hissed.

Squall showed a parody of a smile. "Aren't your glasses...so very rose...tinted..."

Seifer shoved against him and stepped back, the insanity in his eyes combating the anger. "I am a _Knight_!" he roared, motioning to the technician.

Lightning coursed through Squall's body again, made worse for the cuffs cutting into his wrists. He let out a proper scream that time, taking pleasure in the way Seifer looked away even through the haze of bitter pain.

Seifer finally motioned for the current to be cut and Squall drooped in his bindings, chest heaving and eyes closed. He started when an overly-gentle hand took his chin. Sad green eyes looked down at him, madness sparking in the depths. "Why do you make me do this to you, Squall?" Seifer whispered, brushing one gloved thumb against his lip to wipe away a trickle of blood from Squall biting his tongue. "Just tell me what I want to know and it'll be over," he soothed. "I could probably get Edea to lighten your sentence–"

Squall spat blood in Seifer's face, triumphant at the flash of anger in the green eyes. "Fuck you."

Seifer made to motion to the technician, but the door to the room opened and a man stepped in. "Sir Seifer, the missiles targeted for the Garden are ready to launch."

The madness took over Seifer's eyes and he smiled. "Excellent." The man left while Seifer explained to his captive, "Balamb Garden is to be destroyed on charges of training SeeDs to oppose the Sorceress."

Squall felt his heart stop. _'W-WHAT?!'_

"It's a pity, really," Seifer continued, expression faking contrition even as his eyes gleamed with the madness. "I grew up there, too... But orders are orders, and Edea wants it destroy–"

"Now who's the...heartless...murderer?" Squall hissed, spittle and blood flying from his mouth and speckling the shoulder of Seifer's coat.

Seifer's mouth froze open and he turned to meet pain-filled grey eyes. "Enemies must be dealt wi–"

"There are innocent _child_ –"

"No one in that building is _innocent_!" Seifer hissed, madness warring with horror and anger in his eyes.

"What about your posse?" Squall snapped at him, uncaring for the way his throat screamed at him for his outburst.

Seifer jerked back, Squall having struck a nerve.

Unwilling to let his chance go, Squall pressed, "Is your dream...worth their...lives...?"

Seifer spun and stalked from the room without another word.

The technician looked uncertain for a moment, then stepped forward to look up at the hanging man. "Ready to talk?" he demanded.

Squall closed his eyes in answer.

The electrocution started again and Squall's head slammed back against the wall. Stars flashed in his vision for one moment of blinding pain, then everything went dark.

-0-

Squall woke to the chanting of, "Laguna!" and stared around at the crowd of Moombas for a long moment of disbelief. He was resting on the ground beneath the wall he'd been hanging off of for so long, all other sign of a human presence vanished.

"La...guna?" he wondered. _'Do these Moombas know Laguna? Do they know about my dreams of him?'_ Squall scoffed mentally. _'How would they know something like that? But, then, why...?'_

One of the Moombas stepped up and rested a gentle paw on Squall's wrist, which he only then realised had been bandaged. "Laguna," it said, eyes sad and hopeful.

Squall blinked, uncertain as to what his response should be. In the end, he placed his other hand over the Moomba's paw and whispered, "Thanks."

Any further discussion was cut off by the door slamming open. Zell stood there, framed by Quistis and Selphie, all three breathing hard. There was a moment of silence as they all stared at each other in relief before the three escapees hurried forward, heedless of the Moombas and calling Squall's name.

Zell reached him first and knelt next to him, eyes sharp with concern. "You okay?" he whispered, taking in the healed wounds through his shredded clothing and the bandages on his wrists with a practised eye.

Squall shook his head. "I'll be fine," he whispered, trying not to wince at the raw feeling of his throat.

Selphie whispered, "Cure," and the cool touch of magic settled into Squall's bones, easing the ache of torture and his headache.

"Thanks," Squall murmured, moving to stand. When Zell offered his own assistance, Squall wordlessly accepted it, ignoring the flare of concern in their eyes at the action. "Let's get out of here," he ordered as soon as he was steady on his feet.

"Right. Here." Zell held out Revolver.

Squall took his gunblade with a breath of relief. He gave it a quick look over, and, reassured that it hadn't been tampered with, looked back up at the other three with serious eyes. "Considering we were caught in Deling, I'd say this is D-District."

"Our thoughts exactly," Quistis agreed. "Zell has a few memories of this prison from Ward, who apparently worked here?"

"As a janitor," Zell added helpfully.

Squall's eyes flickered towards the controls in the room, then at the Moombas around them. "You won't want to be involved in this," he told them.

"Laguna!" one declared, which got them all started again.

Selphie grinned and ruffled the nearest one's mane. "I think they intend to stay."

Squall sighed and rubbed at the scar between his eyes. "Whatever. Quistis, Zell, can you keep watch? Selphie, let's see what we can do with those controls."

Squall and Selphie had little difficulty hacking into the prison's system, which probably needed an upgrade, based on how old-fashioned it was. It took them longer to rig the system into believing they were activating the submersion program from all three towers, than it did to get into it.

Selphie sort of skipped over the guards who had come to stop them on their way out.

"Seriously, that was the most pathetic prison break ever," Zell decided as they requisitioned a vehicle, Quistis opting to drive. "Did they _really_ think they could hold a group of SeeDs?"

Squall rested his head against the window, eyes turned in the direction he knew the missile base lay. "No," he murmured. "They were just keeping us busy."

"Keeping us busy?" Quistis chanced a glance over. "Why would they need to–"

The car rocked with the aftershocks of an explosion and Quistis immediately hit the brakes. They all craned their necks forward and stared at the mushroom cloud blooming in the distance.

"Whoo-hoo!" Selphie called, doing a little dance in her seat.

"What was that?" Zell wondered, frowning.

Squall blinked, disbelieving. "That...was the Galbadian Missile Base..." he murmured. _'I thought they were supposed to be aiming at Garden? Unless... Seifer?'_

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Quistis decided, putting the car back into drive. "There should be a train stop just up here. Let's head back towards Garden."

"We need to let them know that the assassination failed," Selphie agreed, still bouncing a bit. "Hey! Whatever happened to Irvine, anyway?"

"And Rinoa," Quistis added, expression troubled. "Do we need to go back into Deling to pick her up? We _did_ promise–"

"I told Irvine to get her to a Garden," Squall interrupted. "We're heading to Balamb."

"Galbadia Garden is closer," Quistis reminded him.

"The Sorceress was going to take it over, though, right?" Zell offered. "So it might not be safe. Balamb's the next closest."

"I suppose..." Quistis agreed.

They parked off to one side at the train station and Selphie skipped ahead as they moved to the engine of the train stopped there. The small young woman hopped up and gave the controls a quick look-over as the other three climbed aboard, then started them moving, whistling a cheerful tune.

"HEY! STOP!" someone shouted.

"Look, there's a doofus chasing us," Zell commented, grinning at the soldier running along with the train.

Squall sighed and moved into the first car as Zell laughed at the soldier. There, he dropped into a seat and rubbed tiredly at his forehead, his headache from before returning with a vengeance.

The soothing touch of a Cure spell sank into his bones and Squall glanced up at Quistis, who was watching him with concern bright in her eyes. "You okay?"

Squall shook his head and closed his eyes again. "...Fine," he murmured.

Quistis considered that for a moment, then decided to let it go and asked, "What did you mean, earlier, when you said they were keeping us busy?"

Squall rested against the window and watched her from behind half-lidded eyes. "They were supposed to launch missiles at Garden."

Quistis' expression froze, stuck on curiosity for a long moment before the sickening realisation coloured her eyes. She craned her neck towards the window, eyes on the dispersing cloud in the distance. "But then..."

"There may still be retaliation," Squall commented quietly, closing his eyes again.

Quistis swallowed and nodded. "Okay. Uhm..." She chewed her lower lip for a minute, considering the tired teen across from her. "You get some sleep," she decided. "I'll wake you when we reach Balamb."

Squall considered refusing – what sort of SeeD would sleep on the job? – but he knew his body well enough to know that he would be no use to anyone without getting some rest. It would take a few hours to reach Balamb, and there was no reason for him to be awake for all of it. He settled on a brief nod, curling his limbs into a more comfortable position.

Quistis remained for a moment, watching as the younger teen drifted to sleep, then turned and joined the other two in the engine room. "He's sleeping," she offered to their worried looks.

"That was an electrocution wall," Zell murmured, eyes dark.

"I know." Quistis leaned against one wall, crossing her arms over her stomach.

"It's going to take more than a quick Cure to heal from that."

Quistis closed her eyes, stomach churning at the thought of what her crush had gone through. They'd all been prepared for torture – it was a part of making enemies – but there was a huge difference between being prepared for the possibility of torture and coming in after the fact to find your teammate and friend lying on the ground, occasional shudders racking their frame.

"Squall's strong," Selphie murmured. "He'll be okay. Right?" She looked between the two from Balamb, bright green eyes dark with concern.

Zell took a deep breath, then nodded, determined. "It's going to take a _lot_ more than a few volts of electricity to take him down," he declared.

"He said..." Quistis took a breath and looked up at the younger SeeDs. "Squall said they were supposed to be sending missiles towards Garden."

There was a moment of silence, then Zell hissed, " _What_?"

"The missile base blew up," Selphie pointed out, shaking her head. "Do you think he fixed it while we were setting the prison to sink?"

"I'm pretty sure you have to be on site for that," Quistis replied, shaking her own head.

"Do you think the missiles launched before they blew up?" Selphie asked, concern in her eyes again.

"I don't know." Quistis closed her eyes. "I hope not."

"Can we go faster?" Zell pleaded.

Selphie turned her eyes to the controls, chewing her lower lip. "Maybe. Hold on..." She flicked a lever and twisted a knob and they sped up a bit. "That's the best I can do," she said apologetically.

Zell smiled. "It's enough. Thanks, Selph."

Quistis turned to watch out a window, the hair that had come loose from her clip flying around her face. _'Please, everyone, be okay... Rinoa... I still need to apologise to her. Take care of her, Irvine...'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, yeah. So I got a lot of flack for this fic's title, from both Shivani and Shara. Given, all in good fun, but flack nonetheless. So, to forestall any further mocking aimed at this poor author:  
> I picked this title 'cause it sounded good. And because, originally, some things were going to go a little bit different and put more emphasis on the sins being committed by the various 'young' characters. There's still a bit of that theme going on, but none of it's as pronounced as I'd originally intended.  
> But I still like the title. So it stays. XP


	2. Trying to Please Them All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who are they kidding? I don't care _how_ awesome someone is, there's only so much the human body can take before it gives up on its own. Realistically, Squall probably shouldn't have managed so well in game as he did, although I suppose the adrenaline he was doubtlessly running on helped keep him going. Still. I feel like he should have crashed before he did, and with more drama. (Maybe I just like drama too much... XD)
> 
> Irvine uses something of a code in his messages in this chapter. I think it's obvious, but I'm the author. If something catches you up, there's a list at the bottom of the chapter for what everything means.

"Thank Hyne," Zell whispered as Garden came into view over the rise. They'd rented the car they were in as soon as they got off the train in Balamb and taken off for Garden without stopping to visit anyone they might have known in town.

Squall had taken over the driving, being the least jittery of the four of them, in spite of the tremors that still made his nerves jump from time-to-time. He'd rested and sorted his thoughts during the trip, but the others had simply worried their concerns for Garden, Rinoa and Irvine, and Squall himself – he'd face-palmed when he heard they'd been worrying over him – and the strained lines around their eyes showed it. Squall was half tempted to yell at the lot of them for their concern, but he doubted it would do much good. So he'd taken the keys to the car and silently insisted he drive, preferring to _not_ crash if Garden had suffered any damage.

As it was, Garden was fine and they slipped into the garage and into a spot before realising anything was wrong.

"Hands up!" someone shouted as they left the car.

"What the–!" Zell started, only to find a blade held to his throat. The other four also found weapons pointed at them and they all slowly raised their hands in a sign of surrender.

"Would you care to explain what this is about?" Quistis demanded in her best instructor voice.

"Are you with Cid, or NORG?" one of their assailants demanded.

"NORG?" Selphie repeated, clearly confused.

"Neither," Squall bit out, staring unflinchingly at the gun aimed at his temple. "We're back from assignment."

The SeeD with the gun looked him over, cataloguing the torn clothing and faint bruising under Squall's eyes, then nodded and holstered his gun. "Yesterday evening, the faculty demanded Cid be taken in hand. Apparently, the Sorceress wants him, and NORG intended to hand him right over. We SeeDs have been fighting back against the faculty and a number of cadets who sided with NORG, keeping him hidden."

"And you decided to hold us at weapon-point, why?" Quistis demanded as the others put their weapons away.

"This wouldn't be the first time NORG's followers tried coming in through the garage door," one of the others admitted. "Andre almost died in a sneak attack." She nodded to the SeeD who'd been holding the sword to Zell's throat.

Squall shook his head. "We need to speak with the Headmaster. And get everyone to call a cease-fire."

"The Sorceress had missiles aimed this way, but the missile base exploded," Quistis explained to the frowns Squall's announcement was met with. "There's every chance that we could be faced with an invasion within the day. We need to call a Code Red and go to emergency status."

There was a moment of horrified disbelief, but the unwavering grimness in the four's eyes promised the truth. "What do we do?" one of the SeeD pleaded, looking lost.

Squall resisted the urge to scream at them for their uselessness. "Quistis, you know where NORG is?" he asked, since she'd been an instructor and SeeD longer.

"Yeah. You want me to go down there and discuss our need for the cease-fire?" Quistis agreed.

"Please. Zell and..." He glanced over the SeeDs who they'd met with, then pointed to the one who'd held a gun to him. "You, go with her and provide any support she might need. Selphie and the rest of you will go around warning everyone else about the Code Red. Do any of you know where Cid is?"

"Xu would know," one of them allowed, everyone calming once they'd been given direction.

"Where might I find her?" Squall requested as calmly as possible.

The lot of them traded uncertain looks, then the one who had mentioned Xu offered, "Try the second floor? Maybe."

"We'll walk with you to the lift," Quistis decided, motioning for Zell and the SeeD with the gun to join her in following Squall out of the garage. "We're going down, anyway."

Squall nodded absently. "I can take the stairs," he offered. "Calling the official ceasefire is more important than hunting down Cid."

Quistis sighed, but had to admit he had a point. "I know. Still..." She eyed the faint tremor in his clenched hands with some concern.

"Go," Squall ordered, turning towards the emergency stairwell to one side of the garage.

"Take care of yourself!" Selphie shouted, eyes taut with worry.

Squall waved a hand in acknowledgement, then started up the stairs, gritting his teeth against the revolt his weary body tried throwing. _'As soon as everyone is safe, you can collapse into bed,'_ he promised himself. _'But their safety is the top priority right now. Keep moving.'_

He allowed himself a moment to breathe upon reaching the second floor, then pushed away from the wall and started down the hall, eyes sharp and watchful. The few SeeDs and upper classmen he came across were ordered to spread news of the Code Red and ceasefire, Squall's reputation as a cold, unfeeling bastard and the sharpness in his voice putting stop to any refusals before they could be voiced.

He'd walked about half the second floor when he finally spotted his prey. "Xu!" he shouted.

Xu spun, hands drawing the daggers she favoured before she had even caught sight of Squall. Once she recognised him, she demanded, "Whose side are you on?"

Squall fought the urge to face-palm. "Neither," he snapped. "We're calling a ceasefire and Code Red. Where's the Headmaster?"

Xu blinked in surprised disbelief. "What?"

"The Headmaster, Xu."

"Why a Code Re–"

" _Where. Is. Cid?_ " Squall ground out, his patience worn thin.

Xu snapped out of her surprise and slipped her daggers away. "His office. Come on." She brushed past him and started towards the lift, asking, "What's this about a Code Red?"

"The Sorceress is almost certainly sending a force here. She was going to use missiles, but someone blew up the missile base before they could be launched," Squall allowed, now that they were headed to Cid.

" 'Someone'?" Xu wondered, glancing back at him with a glimmer of irony in her eyes.

"We were in the process of escaping D-District when it blew," Squall corrected her before she could congratulate him for something he hadn't done. Although, if it had been Seifer, he may have had something to do with it, he supposed...

"The intercom is down," Xu offered once they were in the lift. "I assume Quistis and the rest of your team is spreading word of the Code Red?"

"Selphie and a number of SeeDs are, yes," Squall agreed. "Quistis and Zell went down to discuss the ceasefire with NORG; this is no time for Garden to be warring within its walls, but unless he agrees to the ceasefire, the fighting might well continue, despite the severity of our situation."

Xu nodded and the doors popped open at the top level. "Cid is in his office. I'm going to help spread the word about the Code Red, if that's okay?"

Squall shrugged. "Whatever," he replied, stepping towards the large double doors.

Cid spun from where he'd been looking out the window, eyes wide and slightly panicked. As soon as he recognised the teen in the doorway, he relaxed and offered a smile. "Squall. Thank Hyne."

Squall raised an eyebrow at that, but shook his questions away. "Quistis and Zell are discussing the terms of a ceasefire with NORG while Selphie and Xu spread a Code Red," he announced. "There is a very good chance the Sorceress will be sending soldiers our way by the end of the day."

Cid sighed, relief vanishing to be replaced with exhaustion. "I see." He dropped tiredly into his chair. "You might as well join the efforts to spread the word, then..."

"Sir, with all due respect, I would like to give my report," Squall requested stiffly. _'Aren't you even the slightest bit worried about **why** the Sorceress is trying to attack us?'_

"No need," Cid assured him. "I can guess what happened."

Squall clenched his jaw. "Sir," he replied before turning and leaving the office. He reached out to hit the button for the lift and was surprised to find his hand shaking as badly as it was. It took him three times to hit the call button and he quickly drew his hand back against his chest, expression grim. _'Just get to my dorm. That's all. As soon as I'm there, I can rest. I just have to last for another ten minutes or so...'_

The lift opened and he slipped inside. He managed to hit the button for the first floor by using his left hand to steady his right, then leaned back against the wall, giving himself a moment to gather his strength. But there was no strength left to gather and the world spiralled into darkness.

-0-

Squall woke to the smells of the infirmary and hushed voices. _'What happened? I was... taking the lift... Oh.'_ He bit back a sigh. _'I collapsed in the lift. Fantastic. If Seifer were here, he'd...'_

But Seifer wasn't there. He'd taken in with the Sorceress. He'd spoken of bombing Balamb Garden like it hadn't been their home, like it was just another casualty of war. He'd never mock Squall again.

"No!" someone snapped and there was the sound of booted feet on the floor, approaching Squall's bed.

Squall opened tired eyes and looked up at the faculty member who stood over him. "Yes?" he whispered.

"Student ID No. 41269, Squall Leonhart?"

"Yes."

"The Garden Master–"

"Has no _right_ to call on one of _my patients_!" Doctor Kadowaki interrupted, face the very picture of a storm cloud. "Squall needs _rest_!"

"He is requested to report on his mission–"

"He had a team," Kadowaki spat. "Surely they are capable of delivering a report without him!"

"The Garden Master–"

"It's fine," Squall interrupted, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "How do I get to NORG?"

"Get back in that bed," Kadowaki snapped, "or I will sedate you. And _you_!" She waved a finger in the faculty member's face. "Tell NORG that he can damn-well wait until I release Squall before he talks to him!"

"Doctor–" Squall tried.

"Back in bed! Now!"

Squall returned his feet under the covers while the doctor scared the faculty member out, cowed by the woman's overbearing presence. He'd never seen her quite so livid before, but he'd also never tried escaping her clutches before she deemed him fit for classes, either. That was always Seifer's shtick.

Kadowaki stalked back in. "Do I need to sedate you?" she demanded.

Squall shook his head. "No."

Kadowaki stared at him for a long moment, then nodded and picked up a chart from the end of his bed. "Good. How are you feeling? And don't even _try_ telling me you're 'fine', boy."

Squall repressed an amused smile at that; Kadowaki was more than used to his usual attempts to down-play his wounds and illnesses. He took a moment to take stock of his body, then announced, "Better than I was."

Kadowaki raised the clipboard in her hands threateningly.

"Still shaky," Squall hurried to amend, "but nowhere near as severe as before." He held out his hand to prove it, pleased to see only a couple very faint tremors every thirty seconds or so, rather than the constant ones he'd been suffering since he woke surrounded by Moombas. "My headache is gone, and I feel more alert. Rested."

"Good." Kadowaki set the clipboard back on its place at the end of his bed. "You've been asleep for two days."

Squall moved to a sitting position, eyes wide. "The Sorceress–"

"Lie down!" Kadowaki snapped, reaching for a syringe in her pocket.

Squall eyed the syringe with a healthy dose of fear and obediently returned to his prone position.

Kadowaki returned her weapon to her pocket and nodded. "Good. The Sorceress' soldiers arrived yesterday afternoon and were dealt with with few injuries to our troops and no casualties. Your warning saved many a life."

Squall relaxed at that. He didn't like that he'd been unconscious for the battle, but at least no one died. He'd done his duty.

Kadowaki nodded. "Once your tremors have completely stopped, I'll release you. Since you're awake, do you want anything to eat?"

Squall considered that for a moment. His stomach gave a loud rumble and he sighed. "Yes."

"I'll send a runner," Kadowaki decided. "Anything else? I know how idle minds drive you lot nuts."

Squall's mind flashed to Irvine and Rinoa, still missing. "A message tablet," he requested. With any luck, Irvine would think to send him a message with their whereabouts.

"Certainly." Kadowaki left the room and Squall heard her murmuring to someone – the runner, probably – before she returned with a tablet. "Here. You can sit up, but keep your feet on the bed."

Squall absently nodded his understanding as he logged into the tablet. He had any number of messages from Garden about their changed circumstances, as well as something from his favourite restaurant in Balamb Town about a change to their menu.

There were three messages from Irvine, spanning the past four days:

_"Safe in GG. Word is SE plans to send missiles to both BG and TG; give order to evacuate if you're in either."_

_"Heard you escaped DD. The talk of GG. SE supposedly has culprit who blew MB in her clutches. I feel for them. Haven't seen SA lately..."_

_"GG is mobile. RH is missing. We leave Deling tonight for Balamb. ETA 17 hrs."_

The last message was dated fourteen hours ago.

"Shit." Squall started to get out of bed, only to remember at the last minute Kadowaki's threat of sedation if he left the bed. He was debating between calling out to her or just chancing it when the door to the infirmary whooshed open.

" _There_ you are!" Kadowaki said, her chair squeaking as she stood. "You should have– Cid, what's wrong?" she asked, voice gentle.

There was a quiet hiccup, then the sounds of hushed sobs.

Squall sat poised on his bed, surprised and almost ashamed to hear his Headmaster crying. _'This is important, but maybe I shouldn't interrupt...'_ His hand tightened on the tablet, torn between shame and disgust. _'What am I thinking? Galbadia Garden and the Sorceress are headed this way. We have, maybe, three hours to prepare for them, and this won't be as simple to fight off as a couple of soldiers. Dammit!'_

"Let's get you into a bed," Kadowaki soothed. Their steps moved into the room next to Squall's. "Here's a tissue. Do you want me to stay with you, or...?"

Cid murmured something too quiet for Squall to hear.

"Okay. I'll be at my desk, then," Kadowaki promised. A moment later, her chair squeaked again.

Squall looked down at the tablet, the words blurring as his hand trembled. He dropped the tablet to the bed and silently cursed to find his tremors increased. _'Of course they would get worse under stress. Fuck, I don't have the time for this!'_ He picked the tablet up again and slipped out of bed. He got barely two steps before Kadowaki's chair squeaked.

"Get back in bed!" Kadowaki hissed, appearing in the opening.

Squall considered her grimly. "I need to talk to the Headmaster."

Kadowaki opened her mouth to order him back to bed again, but Cid interrupted her, "Squall?"

Squall brushed past the doctor and stepped into the room Cid sat in, not reacting to his teary face. "Sir, a contact in Galbadia Garden tells me it's mobile and should be arriving here in about three hours. _With_ the Sorceress."

Kadowaki let out a breathless curse and hurried over to her desk.

Cid closed his eyes, clearly tired. "I see," he murmured.

 _"Code Red,"_ Kadowaki's voice echoed over the intercom, _"Junior classmen are to report to the dorms. Hostiles reported to be incoming within three hours. SeeDs and upper classmen report to your ready positions. This is not a drill."_

"There's no way we can stand against them. Not if they're mobile," Squall said in a monotone.

Cid reached into a pocket and pulled out a card. He flipped it in his hand a few times, then held it out to Squall as Kadowaki appeared behind the teen. "All the Gardens are mobile," he allowed. "I don't know how well we can control it, but our best chance lies in activating our own propulsion system."

"How?" Squall asked, taking the card with a blank look.

"I'm not sure. The controls are down below the MD level, supposedly." Cid shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "I'm in no shape to figure it out, clearly."

"Neither are you," Kadowaki informed Squall as the teen slipped the card into a pocket of the infirmary-issued scrubs he wore.

Squall considered her blankly. "Where's my gunblade?"

"You should be in _bed_!"

"My gunblade," Squall persisted.

The doctor let out a shuddering breath and gave a jerky nod before leading the way over to her desk. A cupboard behind it held Revolver, as well as a change of clothing for the young SeeD. She handed everything over with a troubled expression. "You're not fully healed," she pointed out.

Squall set the tablet on her desk, noting the tremors in his hands. "I know," he whispered, then slipped into his room and changed quickly. Ensuring he had the card Cid had given him, he hurried out of the infirmary, not sparing the doctor or Cid a glance. _'Activating the propulsion system might very well kill us all,'_ he knew, _'but **not** activating it means certain death at the hands of Edea. There are no good options, only bad and worse.'_ He clenched his hand against the tremors and jabbed the call button for the lift as soon as he reached it.

The doors opened and Squall found himself facing Quistis, Zell, and Selphie, all looking a little worse for wear. There was a moment of silence, then Selphie let out an excited squeal and jumped forward to hug him. "Squall! You're awake!"

Quistis looked down at Squall's clenched hand. "You should still be in bed," she commented.

Squall considered his options: He could leave the propulsion to these three, send them to Kadowaki, or take them with him. It wasn't a hard choice.

"Come on," he said to Selphie, pressing her into the lift with the others and following. "Did you hear the announcement?" he asked as he ran the card through a small reader under the line of buttons.

"Announcement?" Zell parroted dumbly.

"We were with NORG," Quistis admitted. "It didn't go well."

Squall took in their battle weary appearances and nodded. "Irvine messaged me; Galbadia Garden is mobile and on its way here. They should be arriving within about three hours."

" _Fuck_ ," Zell swore.

"Code Red again?" Quistis asked grimly.

Squall nodded. "Cid said there should be a way to get Balamb mobile too."

"We're coming with you!" Selphie declared. After a pause, she added, "Right?" in a quietly hopeful voice.

Squall nodded. "Right."

Selphie beamed at him.

"Garden is mobile?" Zell wondered quietly.

"Cid said all of them are," Squall offered. "He's not sure how it works, he just knows it does."

"This could very well explode in our faces," Quistis pointed out grimly.

"What choice do we have?"

The lift jerked to a stop and they all froze, trading worried looks. After a long moment, Zell carefully stepped over and pried the doors open, only to find nothing but the walls of the shaft. "Shit," he muttered.

Squall's eyes darted up, towards the ceiling, then down at the ground. There was a small hatch there and he knelt and pulled it open. "Here."

"Good eye, man," Zell agreed as Selphie slipped through the hole and started down the ladder set against the wall. After a moment, Quistis followed the smaller woman. "Go on," Zell pressed, waving Squall forward. "I'll take the rear."

Squall nodded and slipped through the hole, taking care that Revolver didn't catch on the edge.

Squall had just reached the tunnel the girls had slipped into when the lift gave a scraping sound above them and started to descend. He jumped inside, then held out a hand to help Zell in before the box went flying past them.

"That was dangerous," Zell commented, holding a hand over his heart.

"I hope there's another way up," Quistis added.

"Hey, I can't get this open!" Selphie called.

Zell pulled the hatch open and jumped down, eyes darting about for a moment. Finally, he called up, "All clear. Seems to be an oil stratum."

"Everyone have fire magic?" Squall asked once they were all on the same level again. They took a moment to check their stocks, junctioning the fire magic to their weapons and ensuring it was in easy grasp in their minds. Selphie also checked to make sure Ifrit was ready for battle. Then they set off.

It was a long way down too many ladders. Eventually, they hit what appeared to be a dead end, of sorts. Selphie spotted the rusty ladder. "There."

"Aw, man..." Zell groaned, flexing stiff hands.

"Where does it go?" Quistis wondered, all of them following the line with their eyes up into a catwalk, which went across to a room covered by glass windows.

Zell groaned again.

Squall unbuckled Revolver and held it out to Selphie. "I'll go," he announced.

"You shouldn't be climbing around–" Quistis started.

"I'm going," Squall repeated, voice leaving no room for debate. Selphie obediently took the gunblade, so he started up the ladder. About halfway up, it let out an ominous crunch in warning and tore free from the wall.

" _Squall!_ " Quistis and Selphie screamed below him.

Squall grunted as the ladder slammed against the glass surrounding the room he'd been heading towards. His death grip on the ladder managed to save him, though his legs had slipped free. It took him a moment to get his feet hooked back between the rungs so he could slip up the rest of the way. He jumped onto the steady floor of the room he'd been aiming for and took a moment to breathe, holding trembling hands together against his chest until they'd calmed enough for him to press a button which opened a slot of floor near the others.

He moved carefully but quickly back down the ladder, only to be met by a shaking Selphie, who wrapped her arms around him and hid her face against his chest. Behind her, both Zell and Quistis were pale, but more composed.

"Next cruddy ladder we come across, you're _not_ climbing," Zell informed him.

Squall silently agreed to that and looked down at the brown head pressed against his heart. "Selphie, we need to keep moving."

Selphie finally pulled back, eyes dry but dark with worry. "I know. You're okay?"

"I'm fine," Squall promised and took Revolver back when she held it out to him.

"This ladder looks much more steady," Zell announced from the opened gate above the opened section of floor.

They slipped down and Zell flipped the switch at the bottom, opening a door on the far side. Before they could reach it, a couple Oilboyles jumped out, which they took care of easily enough. Through the door, they found a line of consoles and all of them sort of stood there in numb disbelief for a moment.

Selphie jumped forward at last and started pressing buttons like a woman possessed.

"Selph!" Zell shouted, moving to grab her.

"Wait," Squall ordered, touching Zell's arm.

There was a loud 'boom' and the machinery beyond the consoles sparked and glowed, starting to move with the creaking groans of disuse. The platform they stood on shuddered, then started to rise, faster and faster.

"Look out!" Zell shouted and they all covered their heads as the ceiling approached, only for them to pass right through it.

The platform came to a stop in the Headmaster's office, high above the large desk. Above them, Garden's halo had begun spinning and glowing ever brighter. It started to descend, going smoothly through the walls of their home as if they weren't even there. The building gave a groaning shudder and dust kicked up in great clouds beneath them.

"Wow," Quistis breathed, leaning over the edge of the controls to watch the mountains moving beyond the clouds of dust.

"We're _moving_ ," Zell realised, eyes sparkling with excitement. " _Awesome_."

"We did it!" Selphie crowed, spinning in place, then grabbing Squall's hands and dragging him around the platform in a half-dance, half-stumble sort of move. "We did it!"

" _You_ did it," Squall insisted, letting her lead him around for a few steps before pulling his hands from hers.

"I never would have reached the controls without you and Zell and Quisty," Selphie informed him, giving him a playful scowl. "So _we_ did it."

The doors below them opened and there came the sounds of surprise. "You did it!" Cid called up to them.

"We are _awesome_ ," Zell informed them all with a grin. Quistis and Selphie laughed while Squall shook his head, silently pleased.

A small lift at the edge of the platform whirred, bringing Cid, Xu and Kadowaki up onto the platform. "Amazing," Xu breathed, joining Quistis at looking over the moving mountains.

Cid clapped Squall on the shoulder, looking like a proud parent. "Well done. All of you."

Kadowaki came up to Squall's other shoulder, smiling as she got a good grip on his bicep. "Crisis averted. You, infirmary."

"I know," Squall agreed, not fighting when the doctor started pressing towards the lift.

"Squall!" Zell shouted, a note of panic in his voice. "We're going to crash into town!"

Squall pulled away from Kadowaki without a second thought and hurried over to Zell's side. Indeed, Balamb Town was approaching at a fast clip. "Selphie, can you turn this thing?" he asked in a surprisingly even voice, turning his own attention to the controls.

Selphie chewed her lower lip and reached out to press a couple buttons. "I don't know," she admitted.

Squall shoved at a button next to him that he remembered Selphie pressing before the platform moved up, then motioned to a small joystick just out of his reach. "Left!" he ordered and the small young woman immediately shoved it to the left.

"We're turning!" Zell called, relief in his voice.

Squall's eyes darted over the controls, cataloguing each one and trying to compare them to the various vehicle controls he'd studied over the years. Next to him, Selphie was doing the same, flicking a switch to ease their speed.

"We're going to crash into the sea!" Zell called in warning.

"Brake on your left," Selphie said to Squall, but he was already pressing it. Garden shuddered warningly beneath them, but came to a stop along the beach, hovering just out of reach of the waves.

They all took a moment to breathe, Squall and Selphie trading knowing looks. It was Selphie who announced, "There's no way we can hold our own against Galbadia Garden like this. We need time to figure out the controls, and the whole thing is sluggish with disuse."

"Are you saying we should... run away?" Xu wondered.

"Tactical retreat," Squall corrected, grimacing at Xu's wording. "Facing them like this is little better than facing them without _any_ mobility."

"I agree," Cid piped up. "Fisherman's Horizon has some of the best technicians alive, having come from Esthar. Perhaps they can help us figure out and improve the steering system?"

"What about Balamb Town?" Zell asked before the two quasi-pilots could get the building moving again. "If Galbadia Garden is coming this way, they'll be caught in the crossfire."

"And we should get word to Trabia Garden!" Selphie realised. "If they can get their system up and running, that'll mean _two_ Gardens against Galbadia!"

There was a long moment of silence before Squall realised everyone was looking to him. _'What? When did **I** become the one to make all the choices?'_ he silently complained, closing his eyes. _'Trabia would be a valuable ally, but without access to our ground cables, we have no way to contact them. And we can't leave Balamb Town without warning them, Zell is right.'_

"Selphie, let's see if we can back this up a bit. If we can land, we'll send a small party into Balamb Town to warn them about Galbadia Garden and send a transmission to Trabia," he decided, then looked at Cid. "Sir?"

Cid beamed. "Excellent! I'll leave it in your capable hands!"

Squall fought the urge to punch the Headmaster and turned back to the controls. Together, he and Selphie managed to back Garden up a bit and land it, though they listed to the side a bit.

"Who all should go into town?" Cid wondered, watching Squall hopefully.

"I'm going," Zell insisted.

Squall glanced over at the fighter and nodded. "Good. Pick a couple of other townies and explain the need for speed to them. You need to get back here within the hour. Selphie," he turned to the brunette, "go into town with them and send out a message to Trabia. Tell them about the controls as best you can, as well as how we got to them. No more than an hour."

Selphie nodded. "You got it!" she agreed, moving to join Zell on the lift down.

Squall turned his attention to the Headmaster. "Perhaps an announcement to let everyone know what's happening?" he suggested drily.

"Oh! Right!" Cid blustered towards the lift. "Good idea!"

"I'm going to go check on the junior classmen," Xu decided. "Maybe we can leave a couple of them in town."

"It would probably be safer than in Garden," Quistis agreed, joining her friend on the lift. "Squall, you'll be okay?"

Squall waved them off, leaving him with a disapproving Doctor Kadowaki.

"You need to be resting," she informed him as Cid's voice echoed in the distance over the intercom.

Squall looked away, hands clenched against the tremors.

Kadowaki sighed. "Cid has a room up here, off to one side. He should probably move to a dorm room, anyway, but you can use that room to get some rest. At least until everyone gets back from town."

Squall nodded. "Okay."

"You and Selphie can trade off controlling Garden once we're under way," Kadowaki added as they moved to the lift down into the office. "I don't know how long it'll take to reach FH, but I'm going to insist that neither of you spend more than four hours at a time up there, understood? You can switch off and get some food or rest."

"Okay," Squall said again.

Kadowaki waved him into the small room just off the office. "I'll let Cid know and send some food up. I don't care if you sleep, but you _need to rest_."

"I know." Squall settled obediently onto the bed and started tugging his boots off. That seemed to be good enough for the good doctor, for she turned and left him to it.

Squall unhooked Revolver, then laid back against the bed, exhausted. His mind was a mess of thoughts and calculations, too busy for sleep, but he closed his eyes anyway, trying to quiet everything enough to reach his usual calm.

 _'I'm not a leader,'_ he thought, the moment up on the platform returning to him against his will. _'I don't have all the answers; I can't decide everyone's fate. I can barely take care of myself, why do they expect me to take care of **them** , too?'_ He clenched his fists against the tremors. _'Just... I wish I could go back in time. Back to simple duels with Seifer at the bottom of the mountains and classroom lessons about the things we might, one day, face. I wish...'_ Squall twisted on the bed until he was curled against unfamiliar pillows, his foetal position the only outward sign of weakness.

 _'We can't go back, only forward,'_ he snapped at himself. _'There's no time for wallowing in self-pity. I'm not a leader, but they expect me to lead them. They look to me for answers, even the Headmaster, and I...'_ He swallowed and clenched his eyes shut against the world, curling ever tighter. _'There are thirty-seven SeeDs, twenty-nine faculty and staff members, forty upper classmen and eighteen junior classmen in Garden. Cid is even more of a mess than I am, and I can't just give up on them. **This is my home.** This is all I have, and I won't lose it to my own insecurities any more than I will to some Sorceress with too much make-up. I will survive **anything** for these people. That is my duty as SeeD.'_

Decided, Squall drifted off into a troubled sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about Squall in that last bit there, but I hate how he just sort of rolls over and takes it in canon without any explanation as to _why_.
> 
> 'Cause _somebody_ is going to ask: Ellone was collected by the White SeeDs while Squall was dead to the world. So, pre-mobile Garden. XD  
>  Also, Laguna dream #4 – fighting the Ruby Dragon for the film shoot – happens while Squall is out.
> 
> Selphie totally figured out the controls of the Ragnarok in a snap, in canon, so it makes a certain amount of sense that she would be able to at least figure out _something_ in Garden. Also, all those years of learning and training must have taught the lot of them _something_ other than how to swing a blade around. It makes sense to me that they would have learned a bit about various vehicle controls, and Squall is logical enough to reason out the mechanics of the controls. Especially considering most technology must be based at least _somewhat_ on Centran technology, which is what the Gardens are.  
>  Or maybe they just pulled things like cars and boats and Ragnaroks out of their pretty white asses. I dunno.  
> Pink dandelion fluff. Jeebus.
> 
>  ** _Translations for Irvine's messages:_**  
>  **GG** , **BG** , **TG** \- Galbadia, Balamb, or Trabia Gardens  
>  **SE** \- Sorceress Edea  
>  **DD** \- D-District Prison  
>  **MB** \- Missile Base  
>  **SA** \- Seifer Almasy  
>  **RH** \- Rinoa Heartilly


	3. Every Little Earthquake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was having a hell of a time fitting Fujin and Raijin anywhere, so I'm just going to say here that they were left behind in Balamb Town with a large number of junior classmen and some other upper classmen. So they're not in Garden.

Once they'd manoeuvred Garden out into the ocean, Selphie ordered Squall back to bed, insisting that she could handle the controls for the first four hours. Quietly amused, Squall returned to Cid's room and sat on the bed. He wasn't particularly tired, and he'd eaten upon waking, twenty minutes or so ago, so he took a moment to glance around the room. He saw a line of pictures of what appeared to be a woman and a group of children and, curious, wandered over to look closer. _'Cid's mom and siblings? Or–'_ His eyes widened.

The picture at the very front had a smiling woman looking rather like Sorceress Edea, sans make-up. At her feet were a gaggle of laughing children who looked _so familiar._ Especially that one sullen boy standing grumpily with a blond's arm around his shoulder. _'That's...me? And Seifer. And...'_ His eyes trailed over the photo, taking in familiar smiles and stances. _'Selphie? Quistis and Zell? Irvine... And...Sis...Ellone...'_

The door snicked open and a throat cleared. "Ah..." Cid let out a nervous laugh as Squall turned to him, still holding the photo. "I suppose I should have removed those sooner..."

"Wha–?" Squall swallowed against the dryness in his throat and tried again. "What is this? Why are... We're..."

Cid carefully slipped the photo from trembling fingers and settled it back with the other photos. "Why don't you sit down, Squall," he suggested, gently leading the teen to the bed, which he sort of fell into, memories clouding his eyes.

"The orphanage," Squall murmured. "We were all..."

"My wife started the orphanage after the Sorceress War," Cid offered, pulling over a chair for himself. "She – Edea – had been a sorceress since she was very young and she felt as though she were somewhat at fault for the suffering you orphans had gone through at the hands of Adel. Taking in orphans was her way of repenting."

Squall shook his head. "Matron?" he asked. "She's the Sorceress? Your... wife?"

Cid's smile turned bitter. "Yes. She was the one who came up with SeeD. A group of well-trained fighters meant to destroy any Sorceresses who would threaten the world. Even if that Sorceress is her."

Squall swallowed and focussed on the man in front of him. "SeeD was created to combat the Sorceresses?"

"Yes."

"But... if Edea, if _Matron_ knew that, why..." Squall frowned, clenching his hands. "In D-District, she wanted to know what SeeD was for."

Cid frowned. "Perhaps she has forgotten because of the madness." He sighed. "Perhaps it's for the best."

Squall's eyes glanced back towards the picture of himself and the others. "Why... I don't...remember..." he tried to explain, for once cursing his own social inadequacies.

"There is...some truth, to the claims of GFs erasing memories," Cid admitted, wincing when Squall shot him a heated glare. "I had to!" he insisted. "There was no way any of you could face a sorceress without outside assistance, and against the destruction of the world, the loss of a few memories..."

Squall looked away, understanding that rationale even as he hated it. A memory came to him then, of a pained smile under a broad hat. "Galbadia Garden doesn't use GFs," he realised. _'Irvine recognised us. And we... Fuck, Irvine, I'm sorry...'_

"No, they don't," Cid agreed. "It's something Martine and I often argue about. Neither does Trabia, for that matter, though they, at least, make them available to their students."

Squall nodded and closed his eyes, suddenly tired. "Did you need help moving out?" he asked in a monotone.

"Hm? Oh!" Cid let out a nervous laugh and shook his head. "No, I'll be fine on my own. And Doctor Kadowaki would have my head if I had you helping; I know you're still not all better. Why don't you get some sleep? I can move all of this stuff later," he said, standing and moving the chair back to its spot against the wall.

Silently agreeing, Squall kicked his boots off and curled up on the bed.

"Squall, for what it's worth, I'm sorry," Cid offered before slipping from the room.

Squall pressed his eyes together tightly, like a child trying to ignore the monster under the bed. _'You're sorry? It's too late for sorry, Cid. This... doesn't change anything. Edea is our enemy, now, and I'll protect everyone. Whether she raised us or not, I'll fight her. I must.'_

He turned over and glanced at the photo across the room. _'Should I tell the others? Should I tell them we're fighting Matron? Would it... hurt them? Would it make them pause at the wrong moment? Would telling them... get them killed?'_ He sighed. _'Why does this have to be my choice? Why do **I** have to decide whether to break their hearts now or later?_

_'What if we face her again and one of them recognises her? Can I take that chance? Can I allow the possibility that the memories will return at the wrong moment? Can I let them face her without knowing who they're working to kill? They'll hate me if I tell them after, but they might desert me if I tell them before..._

_'Who am I kidding? Desert me, then. I won't lie to them.'_ Squall closed his eyes. _'I'll tell them in FH. That should give them plenty of opportunity to sort out their feelings. **Without** failing at their duties.'_

-0-

It took them about fifteen hours to reach FH, and with so much rest and a couple good meals under his belt, Squall finally felt one hundred percent again. He'd stopped by the infirmary on his way to join the party going ashore and Doctor Kadowaki had cleared him with a smile.

"FH is a pacifistic community," Xu informed them once they'd all gathered by the second floor deck, which had been lined up with a crane for ease of travelling between the city and Garden. "Because of that, we'll be leaving all obvious weaponry on Garden, rather than trying to take it into the city."

"Where are we leaving our weapons?" Quistis asked as she unclipped her whip.

Xu directed them to a safety locker that had been attached next to the inner door and Quistis, Selphie and Squall slipped their weapons inside. As Xu's daggers and Zell's fists weren't obvious weapons, neither of them had to leave anything behind. However, being SeeDs, the three who'd checked their weapons also wore concealed knives and, in Quistis' case, a small hand pistol, which they left in place.

At Xu's silent direction, Squall sighed and took the lead out onto the deck. A small crowd of people stood above them, uncertain. Squall held out his hands to show he was unarmed and called, "We're here for peaceful negotiation. May we come ashore?"

The group on the crane traded looks, then one called, "Yeah! Come on up!"

The five SeeDs scaled the crane and jumped lightly up in front of the group from FH. "What can we do for you folks?" a different man asked, tone slightly hostile.

"We've only just discovered Garden to be mobile and it's a bit sluggish, not to mention the difficulty of determining what all the controls are for," Squall explained in an even tone. "We're hoping to barter for the service of your technicians in getting everything updated."

There was a surprised silence at that announcement. Eventually, one of the men grinned and stepped forward, hand held out for a handshake. "Jacob," he offered.

Squall blinked blankly in surprise for a moment. Selphie finally shoved at his back and he raised his own hand to complete the greeting. "Squall," he allowed, still confused.

Jacob nodded and motioned for someone in the back of the crowd to run ahead. "Not often we get peaceful mercenaries in these parts," he commented, earning him a chorus of laughter from behind him. "We'll send you on to the mayor to do your bartering, but be sure to stop by the pub before you leave, eh? Trade some stories over a couple beers."

Squall just blinked a few more times. _'What the hell?'_

"It would be our pleasure," Xu intervened, saving Squall from the friendly crowd. "Where can we find the mayor?"

"Just go straight down, miss. His house is right in the middle, can't miss it," Jacob offered, still grinning at Squall's blank look.

The SeeDs slipped past the crowd and made their way along the crane, Xu taking the lead with an amused smile.

Zell knocked shoulders with Squall, grinning. "That was kind of awesome, man. You made a new friend!"

Squall shot him a frown.

"Oh, come _on_! Lighten up, Squall!"

Selphie giggled and grabbed on to Squall's arm, inserting herself between the two men. "What's that? It sounds like Zell wants to train with you, Squall; his fists to your gunblade."

Zell quickly fell back out of sight of the taller teen, Quistis and Xu laughing at his reaction.

Squall had started to develop a foreign fondness for the small young woman attached to his arm, and he wasn't sure if it was because he remembered snippets of her as an excitable child, or because he had spent the last fifteen hours at the helm of Garden with her, cheered by her constant smiles and bad jokes. Whichever it was, he actually didn't mind her hanging off his arm and didn't bother making her let go like he would have anyone else. Instead, he patted her hand in thanks for her defence and stayed silent as the other four commented on the view, which really _was_ quite stunning.

The mayor's house was, in fact, hard to miss. He was a much less cheerful man than his people, however, not even waiting for them to sit before snapping, "I've been told you're looking to barter for our services?"

"We are," Xu agreed, deciding to not make Squall play spokesperson for once. "We can pay you, or trade you any skills our students might–"

"The only thing I want from your kind is for you to stay out of my city," the mayor snapped. "You lot stay in Garden and I'll consider that a fair trade for our services. Agreed?"

Xu blinked, thrown, then looked back at Squall.

Squall fought the urge to sigh. "We should be able to do that," he agreed. "We don't have access to the messaging system and some of our people wanted to get in contact with their families. Is there a chance you would allow them to come ashore and use a public terminal, or..."

The mayor scowled. "Family?" he muttered.

"Darling, perhaps we can allow them that much," the woman at the mayor's elbow suggested quietly. "They can use the terminal at the inn."

"Only if they leave their weapons on your ship!" the mayor snapped.

"Agreed."

"Good. Now get out of my house!"

The SeeDs obediently left, heading back towards the crane. "That went well," Xu commented drily.

Selphie took hold of Squall's arm again. "I should check and see if Trabia Garden's responded yet."

Squall nodded, interested to see if Irvine had messaged him again with further news. "We'll drop by the inn. Quistis? Zell? Xu?"

"Sure, I'll come with you two," Zell said, hands in his pockets.

Quistis shook her head. "I don't have anyone who might message me."

"Nor do I," Xu agreed. "We'll head back to Garden and let Cid know that the repairs are a go. As well as telling everyone to remain in Garden."

Squall nodded, eyes thoughtful. "Once we're back, we can work out a rotation for those who want to check their messages," he decided. "I'd like to keep the number of people in town to a minimum, but I don't want any students out on their own."

"Sounds good. I'll see if I can't compile a list by the time you return," Xu agreed as they reached the crossroad. "Good luck, and _try_ not to cause any trouble?" She looked pointedly at Zell.

Zell grinned. "I'll be on my _best_ behaviour!"

"We'll watch him," Squall promised. At his elbow, Selphie nodded vigorously.

Quistis and Xu waved as they made their way up the crane, leaving the other three to head into town. The people they met in the streets were cheerful and friendly, but the three refused to let themselves get waylaid. They reached the inn soon enough and the two men stepped back to let Selphie use the terminal in peace.

"How long do you think the repairs will take?" Zell wondered, looking out the small window towards the ocean past the tracks that served as a street in this city.

Squall shrugged. "Hopefully no more than a couple days. I don't want to chance Galbadia Garden finding us here."

Zell grimaced. "Yeah. I don't think that mayor would appreciate it if we fought within sight of his house, right?"

 _'That's an understatement,'_ Squall thought.

Selphie skipped over to them and latched on to Squall's arm again. "Trabia's last message said they were working on getting their system up and running. I told them we were headed for FH, so they intend to join us once they get everything worked out." She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and worried it with her teeth. "Do you think we should warn the mayor?"

Zell laughed.

"We'll do it on the way back to Garden," Squall decided, carefully extracting his arm from Selphie. "I'll be right back."

Irvine had, in fact, sent him another missive: _"Good on the vanishing act. SE is throwing an absolute fit. Rumour is she plans to dump a small force behind in Balamb, then travel on to Trabia. If TG hasn't already up-rooted, tell them to now. Don't know when I'll be in contact again. Still no sign of RH or SA. Stay safe."_

Squall closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't like that both Rinoa and Seifer were missing, but there was little he could do about it. He was tempted to send a message back, but the risk was too great. _'Stay safe yourself, Irvine,'_ he thought towards the sharpshooter.

After logging out, he traded places with Zell and allowed Selphie to grab his arm again, staring out at the ocean.

"Did Irvy message back?" Selphie wondered.

Squall nodded. "They're headed for Trabia."

Selphie bowed her head. "I'm glad we already told them how to move. I just hope..." She trailed off and tightened her grip on Squall's arm.

"They'll be fine," Squall offered, trying to sound reassuring, but mostly just sounding tired.

Selphie smiled up at him, recognising the attempt for what it was. "I know. Thanks, Squall."

Zell rejoined them, expression grim. "Edea left a force occupying Balamb and left. No one knows where they're headed."

"Irvy said Trabia," Selphie replied. "After that, who knows."

"We should head back to Garden," Squall suggested.

"We need to stop by the mayor's house again, too," Selphie reminded him and Squall nodded.

Their second meeting with the mayor was almost as unpleasant as the first, made easier only because the old man was high on something, which made him a little more agreeable. As long as Trabia Garden stuck to the same rules as Balamb Garden, they could dock nearby and the FH technicians would repair anything that needed repairing.

They met up with Xu, Quistis and Cid in a meeting room down the hall from the Headmaster's office-turned bridge. There, they settled in, Selphie announcing, "Trabia Garden is on their way here. We don't have an ETA, but the mayor assures us there shouldn't be a problem with them docking for any repairs when they arrive."

"Here," Xu offered, passing a small pile of paper across the table to Squall. "The list of students, SeeDs and staff who would like to go ashore to check their messages."

Squall nodded and glanced down at it, saying, "I heard from my contact in Galbadia Garden. Edea was furious to find us gone. She's left a small force behind in Balamb to, I would assume, look out for us, then made for Trabia. Also, her Knight has gone missing."

"Her Knight?" Xu parroted.

"Seifer?" Quistis asked even as Zell muttered, "Good riddance."

"What about Rinoa?" Selphie asked, brow furrowed.

"She's also missing."

There was a long silence at that, during which Squall flipped through the lists and did some quick calculations in his head.

" _What_?" Quistis hissed. "Rinoa is _missing_?"

Squall glanced up at her. "Yes." _'Considering how much trouble she's always getting into, are you really surprised?'_

"What–? How–? Is Kinneas _useless_?" Quistis spat.

Squall felt his temper flare, protective over his absent foster brother. "You can't expect him to keep an eye on her all the time, Quistis," he hissed. "Rinoa is a big girl and should be capable of taking care of herself! That she can't is no fault of Irvine's."

"It was Irvine's duty to keep her safe–"

"It was _our_ duty to keep Rinoa safe," Squall returned sharply. "Irvine isn't a SeeD, he was just an ally leant to us for one mission, and he had nothing to do with Rinoa. I asked him to get her somewhere safe, as a _favour_ ; he was under _no obligation_ to protect her. If you want to find fault with someone, find fault with _me_."

Quistis stared at him for a moment before turning her face away.

"Rinoa should know better than to go wandering off on her own in a hostile place, anyway," Selphie added gently. "She knew she was safe with Irvy, and if she ducked him, then she's the one at fault. Right?"

There was an uncomfortable silence at that, during which Squall made some notations on the edges of the sheets Xu had passed him with a pen he'd found in his jacket pocket, before asking, "Do the FH technicians know how long they'll be taking?"

Cid shifted uncomfortably. "They estimate about four days, though they haven't really had a good look at everything yet."

Squall considered that, then made a few more notations and passed the papers back to Xu. "Four groups of six people for each day, for the next three days," he explained to her confused look. "Those with the number one point one next to their name will be the first group to go tomorrow morning, one point two will go when the first group returns and so forth. The second group on day two has seven people, since there was an odd number of people."

Xu looked back over the lists with understanding eyes. "Okay. I'll get the word out, then." She glanced up at him. "Thanks."

Squall shrugged.

"What about when Trabia arrives?" Selphie asked, glancing towards the list curiously. She'd watched as Squall did the quick calculations in his head, only scribbling a couple useless numbers on a corner, and was a little jealous at his ability to do so much math in his head. She could barely manage basic arithmetic without writing the formulas out.

"We'll figure that out then," Squall replied.

Quistis cleared her throat. "I'd like to be added to one of those groups," she announced.

"I don't want you contacting Rinoa," Squall interrupted before Xu could agree.

"She deserves to know what's going on!"

"She was last known to be in a hostile environment," Zell pointed out, straightening in his chair when Quistis shot him a scowl. "You really want to chance Edea or one of her people finding out where Garden is?"

"I'm _worried_ about her!" Quistis snapped. "I'd like to know if she's okay!"

"Any message you send, no matter how cleverly worded or re-routed, can always be traced back to our position," Xu chastised. When Quistis' expression fell, Xu sighed and rested a gentle hand on her best friend's arm. "Quisty, I know you're worried, but it's not worth the threat to Garden."

Quistis swallowed, then peeked up at Squall, who was watching her with hard eyes. "And trusting Irvine _is_ worth the risk?" she wondered, voice sharper than she'd intended. "He's practically a stranger!"

Squall's eyes flicked towards Cid, who winced, then he said, "We've known Irvine since we were kids."

" 'We'?" Quistis repeated.

Squall shrugged. "All of us except Xu. We were at an orphanage together."

"Huh?" Zell's brow furrowed with confusion. "An orphanage?"

"A stone house?" Selphie murmured, recognition in her eyes.

Quistis' eyes widened. "By the ocean! I remember that place!"

"Irvy was there!" Selphie realised. "We always played together! He was my best friend..."

Squall looked pointedly at Cid while the others hunted down long forgotten memories. The man sighed, but nodded and stood, leaving to collect the photo that had sparked Squall's own memories.

"Didn't we... set off fireworks?" Zell wondered.

"On the beach!" Selphie agreed, bouncing in her chair and looking around Squall to Zell. "We got in _so_ much trouble!"

"Someone tattled on us," Quistis added drily, giving the blond brawler a look full of amused exasperation.

Zell flushed and ducked down in his chair. "Sorry..."

Xu snorted in amusement at the byplay. "So you four and this Irvine were at an orphanage together? But you forgot?"

"The GFs," Squall supplied. "Irvine was the only one that remembered."

"So, he told you?" Quistis wondered, frowning. "By why would he only tell you...?"

"Irvine didn't tell me, Cid did," Squall corrected. "He's Matron's husband."

"NORG said he was Sorceress Edea's husband, though!" Zell insisted, jerking up in his chair.

"Your Matron and Sorceress Edea are the same person," Cid offered as he stepped back into the room. He set the photo in the centre of the table, looking troubled. "Squall, are you sure this is wise?"

"We deserve to know who we're fighting," Squall said firmly.

"Sweet Hyne," Quistis breathed. "She _is_ Edea." She drew her hands to her mouth, horrified. "I tried to kill her." Next to her, Xu wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her into a half-hug.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Zell decided, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.

Selphie wrapped her arms around Squall's right arm and rested her head against his shoulder. "What do we do?" she whispered. "We can't kill Matron."

Cid cleared his throat. "Edea created SeeD to fight against Sorceresses, knowing that you might one day be hunting her. She was prepared for this."

"I don't know if I can do it," Quistis whispered. "I can't hurt her, even if she is prepared. She..." She choked. "She's _Matron_."

"She fully planned to fire missiles on both Trabia and Balamb Gardens," Squall said coolly. "She threw us in D-District and had me tortured. She's hunting us down right now, uncaring if innocent junior classmen get in the way. That doesn't sound like the Matron I remember."

The other three looked like they'd been slapped, and Selphie drew away from him uncertainly. "Squall..." Selphie whispered, eyes bright with unshed tears.

Squall stood from his chair. "You have until the FH technicians have completed their repairs to decide whether we'll be leaving you behind or not. I won't have any uncertainty when we face the Sorceress, it's too dangerous for anyone there." He allowed a curt nod towards Cid, then stalked from the room, intent on the Training Centre. He felt a desperate need to work off some nervous energy, and there was no better way than facing down T-Rexaurs.

-0-

Squall glanced up curiously from his soup when someone set their tray down across from him. He raised an eyebrow, then intoned, "Headmaster."

Cid smiled tiredly. "May I join you?"

Squall motioned for him to take the empty seat and took a moment to glance around the half-empty cafeteria. He hadn't seen any of the others since their meeting the evening before, though a part of that was due to his own self-exile in his room. "How can I help you, sir?"

"You're being unusually formal," Cid commented, breaking off a chunk of bread to dip it in his own soup.

"You're my superior–"

Cid chuckled and shook his head. "I changed your diapers, Squall. Badly, I might add." He smiled at the grimace that Squall couldn't keep off his face. "Anyway, superiority hasn't mattered much over the past couple days, and it's going to matter even less in the future."

Squall blinked at that. "Sir?"

Cid raised an amused eyebrow.

Squall grimaced again. "Cid," he amended.

Cid nodded. "I will admit that battle tactics and war are not my forte. I'm fine running a school, but I never claimed to have any skills for running an army."

"You want me to lead Garden into battle," Squall said dully. "I'm no leader, Cid; I'm a mercenary. A soldier, if you want."

Cid shook his head. "And I'm the son of a baker, raised on pounding dough, but here I sit, in control of an entire school. Maybe I'm not the best Headmaster in the history of Garden, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm here, doing this job, because there was no one else." He smiled a little sadly. "There's no one else who can lead these people, no one else they respect enough to listen to without pause."

"They don't _respect_ me!" Squall hissed.

"Of course they do." Cid chuckled at Squall's disbelieving look. "Squall, you stormed in here a week ago, a shaking mess with torn clothing and looking like hell, but you took charge of your friends and the SeeDs who found you and directed them to calm down a Garden in chaos. You had a situation beyond any of us in hand faster than any other person I know could have managed, including any number of generals and Headmaster Martine, whose mere presence makes his students stand at attention. Then, from your infirmary bed, you warned us about another threat and saved us all, even though you were still tired and sick and had no more a clue than any of the rest of us."

Squall hid his face behind his bangs, staring down at his soup. "I only did what any other SeeD–"

"You went above and beyond your duties," Cid interrupted gently.

Squall scowled and stirred his soup to give his hands something to do. "Anyone else would have done the same thing if they'd thought of it first," he muttered.

"Perhaps," Cid agreed. "The point is, _you_ thought of it first. _You_ were the one to bring everyone together, to remind them of the bigger picture. And the students, the staff, the SeeDs...they respect you for that." He chuckled. "On my way here, I heard a couple of junior classmen insisting they would try their hands at the gunblade so they could 'be more like SeeD Leonhart'."

Squall ducked his head even further, face unusually warm. _'What the hell? I do **not** blush! This is...'_ "I'm not some fucking 'hero'," he hissed to his soup. "And those kids shouldn't be joking about learning the gunblade!"

"They sounded rather serious about it," Cid commented, obviously amused. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we suddenly had an influx of students interested in the gunblade."

Squall's head jerked up, honest disbelief bright in grey-blue eyes. " _Why_?"

"Because you're _their_ hero," Cid offered. "You saved them, whether it was what 'anyone else would have done' or not, _you_ were the one to do it. That's a fact, Squall, and they admire you for it. The junior classmen, the upper classmen, even a number of SeeDs admire you for your quick thinking and the way you kept your wits about you even at your weakest moment. They _respect_ you, Squall."

Squall ducked his head again, sipping at his soup with sharp, angry gestures.

Cid sighed and shook his head. "I always knew we'd need someone to lead SeeD, eventually, but there wasn't a real need before. Now there is, and you're the only man for the job."

"So find a woman," Squall snapped. Just because he was prepared to take charge didn't mean he _wanted_ to.

Cid shrugged. "You'd prefer to see someone else leading SeeD against Edea?" he asked lightly, eyes sharp with the knowledge of just how far below the belt that was.

Squall froze, spoon halfway to his mouth. _'Let someone else lead Garden? Let one of those useless, pansy-ass, headless chickens–'_ Squall's head jerked up and he narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster. "You've made your point," he hissed.

Cid smiled. "So you'll take the position?"

 _'Like I have a choice...'_ Squall gave a jerky nod and looked back down at his soup.

"Excellent!" Cid stood, carefully balancing his tray in one hand. "I've got a faculty meeting to get to, but if you'll come by the meeting room in a few hours, we can sort out all the official paperwork."

"...Whatever," Squall muttered.

Cid clapped him on the shoulder, then started away, whistling a cheerful tune.

 _'I should have stayed in my room for another day,'_ Squall moaned to himself.

He finally finished his food and put his tray up. He started out of the cafeteria, vaguely wondering what to do for the next couple hours when two familiar hands latched onto his arm. He glanced down at Selphie, eyebrow raised.

Selphie glowered at him. "I'm allowed to spend time with you."

Squall shrugged. "Whatever."

Selphie sniffed and changed her hold on his arm so it was a bit more natural. "Come with me to the quad?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure," Squall agreed, not having any better ideas.

Selphie was unusually quiet during the walk, face downturned so Squall couldn't try reading her expression. Her whole posture spoke of a heavy burden and he felt guilty for telling her about Matron, even if they had the right to know.

The quad was crawling with students working to fix the large stage that had taken a lot of damage between the fighting in Garden and their departure from their usual spot in Balamb. "I want to have a Garden Festival," Selphie murmured, catching Squall's attention. "You know that already, but... Everyone's so down and gloomy, I think we could use a little cheer, right?" She looked up at him hopefully.

Squall blinked down at the tired green eyes. "Have you been working out here since the meeting yesterday?" he asked. When she looked away, he sighed. "Selphie..."

"This is important to me," she tried. "This–"

"This shouldn't come above your own health," Squall chastised, shaking his head. "The Garden Festival is not more important than you being well-rested."

Selphie bit her bottom lip, eyes shining with tears. "I... I tried sleeping," she whispered as salty liquid spilled silently down one cheek. "But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Matron throwing that spear of ice at you, and–!" She choked and let go of Squall's arm, only to wrap her arms around him and hide her face against his chest, body shaking with sobs.

Squall awkwardly draped his own arms around her shoulders and sighed, uncomfortable, but unwilling to push her away. _'When did that change?'_ he wondered, unconsciously tightening his arms around the small SeeD. _'When did I stop pushing people away? When did Selphie worm her way past my defences? Over a decade of pushing people away, and I didn't even realise...'_

"Selphie?" a small voice asked. "Are you okay?"

Selphie pulled back and reached up to wipe at her eyes, a watery smile curving her lips. "I'm okay," she promised the boy who had stopped next to them.

A girl not much younger than the two SeeDs stopped next to Selphie, eyeing Squall like a piece of meat, and asked, "Is he your boyfriend, Selph?"

Selphie outright laughed at the disgusted look that flashed over Squall's face for the briefest of moments. "No, no," she insisted. "Squall's, like... my brother," she decided, smiling a bit fondly. "My _little_ brother."

 _'By **thirty-eight** days,'_ Squall muttered in his mind, scowling at the hungry looks the girl next to Selphie was giving him. Considering his usual skills with numbers, he wasn't that surprised to find that he knew Selphie's birthday, though he couldn't remember where he'd seen it.

Selphie covered her smile as it widened. "Becca, if looks could kill, you'd be _so_ dead right now."

The girl grinned and waggled her eyebrows at Squall. "You're hot, wanna go out?"

Squall rubbed tiredly at his scar. "I'm leaving," he announced, turning towards the exit.

Selphie immediately latched onto his arm. "Oh, _please_ won't you stay, Squall? Maybe help a little bit with the cleaning up? For me?"

Anyone else, Squall could have denied without a second thought, but he was too fond of Selphie, and she'd already cried once for him. "For a couple hours," he agreed.

Selphie beamed. "Thank you, Squall!"

Squall pinned her with a sharp look. "But when I leave for my meeting, _you_ are getting some sleep. Even if I have to drag you down to Doctor Kadowaki. Understood?"

Selphie blinked, surprised, then her face lit up with a far more honest smile than her usual beaming grins. "Yeah," she agreed. "I can do that."

 _'Weird...'_ Squall shook his head. "What do you want me doing?"

"We've got a beam over here that's _really_ heavy and none of us are quite strong enough to lift it..." Selphie rattled on, leading him towards the stage with a smile on her face.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Selphie had made her choice: Squall was important to her, more important than the quasi-mother that she could barely remember. She never wanted to see Squall take another ice spear, and if that meant killing Matron, then that's what she would do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Selphie so much, can you tell? (And, no, really, Selphie and Squall's relationship is completely platonic in this fic. Just, neither of their love interests are on the scene and Selphie needed someone to hang on to. ^.^")  
> Didn't mean for Cid to come across as such a sneaky old bastard, but since he's sort of likened to Albus in my mind, I suppose it was inevitable. Hrm. Don't much care for him, really, but I suppose I tore him to shreds plenty in Zyxt. XD
> 
>  ** _Translations for Irvine's messages:_**  
>  **TG** \- Trabia Garden  
>  **SE** \- Sorceress Edea  
>  **SA** \- Seifer Almasy  
>  **RH** \- Rinoa Heartilly


	4. Faraway Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing an OC from Zyxt: Headmistress Angelica Fields. Sans hitting on Squall, this time.

Trabia Garden arrived just before dinner. Squall and Cid were seated at the conference table, debating the changes Garden would undergo as a mobile military base _and_ school. Cid seemed to think their lives could continue on without change unless they were involved in an actual battle; Squall thought he was an optimistic idiot.

They were saved from bout thirteen of Cid attempting to explain his side while Squall glowered at him – Squall had been counting – by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Cid called, shuffling the papers on the table into an attempt at organisation.

Xu's head poked in. "Trabia Garden is here. Do either of you know where Selphie is?"

"She's sleeping in my room," Squall allowed. When the other two gave him disbelieving looks, he sighed and said, "She was having trouble sleeping, so I left her in my room. Something about a comforting presence?"

Cid snorted and looked away when Squall shot him a glare.

"Sounds like somebody's got a crush," Xu announced, grinning. "Should we be expecting a wedding instead of a Garden Festival?"

Squall shoved away from the table, glowering. "Where is Trabia attaching?" he growled.

Xu shook her head. "Main entrance."

"I'll collect Selphie and meet you there," he said.

"From your 'love nest'," Xu teased.

Squall levelled an unimpressed look at her, then brushed past and down the hall. _'I'm surrounded by idiots and children. Fucking hell, it's a wonder this place has run as smoothly as it has.'_

Upon reaching his room, Squall couldn't help but stop before waking Selphie. The young woman was resting peacefully for what sounded to be the first time since she left Trabia Garden to take the practical. Selphie had insisted that she'd managed at least _one_ night of good sleep in there somewhere when Squall had mentioned that, but he wasn't sure he believed her. _He'd_ only managed real sleep after collapsing in the lift, and he wasn't struggling with nightmares.

 _'She'll never forgive me if I let her sleep through the initial greetings,'_ Squall reminded himself. _'No matter how much she needs the sleep, I need my sanity more.'_ Shaking his head, he reached over and touched her shoulder. "Selphie. Wake up."

Drowsy green eyes blinked up at him. "Squally?" she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. "What time is–" She was cut off by a jaw-cracking yawn. "–time is it?"

"A little before six," Squall replied. "Trabia Garden is here."

"Okay..." Selphie murmured, closing her eyes and relaxing back against Squall's pillow. Squall had time to raise one eyebrow in amused disbelief, then the young woman bolted upright. "Trabia's here?!"

"We're to meet them at the main entrance," Squall agreed. Selphie jumped out of the bed and made to dash out the door, only for Squall to catch her wrist and tug her to a stop. "Boots."

Selphie flushed a bright red, then leaned down to pick up her boots from the end of the bed. "Oops," she mumbled, dropping onto the bed to pull them on. She remembered to grab her nunchakus once she'd finished pulling on her second boot, then jumped back up. "Okay! Let's go!"

Squall motioned for her to take the lead, which only lasted for about five feet past Squall's room door before she'd dropped back and taken a hold of his arm, looking troubled. "What?" he asked.

Selphie worried her lower lip. "What if... What if they're disappointed in me? I mean, our first _two_ missions were epic failures–"

"Are you disappointed?" Squall interrupted before she could get a proper rant going.

Selphie blinked. "Huh?"

"Are you disappointed?"

Selphie blinked again and considered that for a moment before shaking her head. "No," she decided. "We did what we could with what we were given."

"Then why does it matter what they think?"

Selphie sighed, amused. "Squall, you're so awkward about the strangest things."

"Hmm." Squall shrugged. "Xu and Cid seem to think we're dating."

Selphie snorted. "Of course they do. Did you tell them how completely off-base they were?"

"I had more important things–"

"You chickened out." Selphie laughed and hugged his arm. "We _really_ need to work on your social skills, Squally."

Squall sighed, resigned to both the childhood nickname and the fact that everyone he knew seemed to think his social skills were lacking. There was nothing wrong with not sharing his every thought.

Cid and Xu were waiting for them at the main entrance, grinning at the way Selphie was hanging off Squall's arm. "I'd say that's more than a 'crush'," Cid teased.

"I have no interest in dating my little brother," Selphie declared. "He just so happens to be my _favourite_ little brother, and the perfect height for me to cuddle his arm!"

"What does that make Irvine?" Squall wondered.

"My favourite best friend." Selphie grinned. "And the owner of my favourite hat. You should steal it for me next time we see him, Squally."

"I don't steal hats," Squall informed her drily.

"But you'd steal Irvy's for me, wouldn't you?" Selphie wheedled.

"No."

"But, Squally–"

"Selphie?" a new voice interrupted, saving Squall from having to refuse Selphie's hopeful eyes.

Selphie spun on the spot, eyes lighting up when she caught sight of the approaching trio. "Sonya! Antonio!" she shouted, then she was off like a rocket to greet her friends, laughing as the young man – Antonio – caught her in a hug and swung her around in a circle.

The woman standing behind the three teens smiled pleasantly at them, then stepped forward to shake hands with Cid. "Cid, it's been too long."

"And you look as lovely as ever, Angelica," Cid replied cheerfully. "I'm glad to find you looking so well, though I wish the circumstances were less dire."

"Likewise," the Trabia Garden Headmistress agreed, worry-lines etched deeply into her forehead. Her eyes took in the young man and woman that stood just behind Cid and she asked, "Assistants, or bodyguards?"

Cid blinked, then looked back at Xu and Squall with a surprised expression. "Oh! Sorry, I'm remiss. Squall, Xu, this is Angelica Fields, Headmistress of Trabia Garden. Angelica, this is Xu Han, my Head of Staff and Squall Leonhart, SeeD Commander."

"Whaat?!" Selphie called, hurrying over with her two friends trailing behind. "Squally!"

"You slept through the announcement," Squall told her drily.

Selphie huffed and dropped a gentle swat on his arm. "I'm not talking to you for the next two days!"

"Hm."

Selphie pouted a bit, then latched onto his arm and demanded, "You're stealing Irvy's hat for me."

"If you want his hat so badly, ask him for it."

"It's more fun if it's stolen."

"Then use a step ladder."

"Squally!" Selphie swatted his arm again. "Are you calling me short?"

Squall shrugged. "If you'd prefer."

Selphie huffed and turned to her friends. "We're going to eat dinner in the cafeteria with the _cool_ people!" she declared, leaving Squall for her friends and leading them from the the entrance.

Cid chuckled while Squall rubbed helplessly at his scar. "Dinner will be delivered to us in the meeting room, if you'd like to join us, Angelica?"

Angelica smiled, years of stress fading from her face. "I'd love to. It's almost a pity Selphie won't be there; it hasn't been the same without her. I'm glad she's made friends here, though." She glanced curiously at the stoic young man who walked calmly just to her left.

Squall blinked at the consideration. _'What? Oh, she probably thinks I'm dating Selphie too.'_ He resisted the urge to sigh. _'Honestly, doesn't **anyone** understand that she's just a particularly tactile person? If Irvine was here, she'd almost certainly be hanging off him more than me. Probably trying to steal his hat the whole time. Mental note, warn Irvine about Selphie's klepto tendencies...'_

Cid's papers were shoved off to one side and the four sat to eat the food a couple runners had brought up. They kept the dinner conversation light, discussing the weather and the Balamb strawberry festival which was coming up.

Once the dishes were cleared, the air grew heavy. "Tell me everything you know about this Sorceress," Angelica requested.

"Her name is Edea Kramer," Cid offered, smiling tiredly at the Headmistress' startled look. "Yes, my wife."

"The one who founded Garden and SeeD?" Angelica breathed.

"The very same," Cid agreed. "From what I've heard through various sources, she suddenly started acting a little odd about three months ago and vanished from sight about a month and a half ago. Almost two weeks ago, some Galbadian forces invaded Dollet and got their Communication Tower up and running to enable them to stream a live broadcast from Timber."

"We saw that," Angelica admitted. "Someone from Garden interrupted everything, though."

"Seifer Almasy, cadet," Cid offered. "He was worried about a team I'd dispatched to Timber and ran after them. In the havoc, it was mentioned that they were from Garden. Other than that..." He frowned, uncertain.

"Seifer retreated with President Deling," Squall reported in a monotone. "He met with Edea in a side room where she walked out of a curtain. Deling was released and Seifer followed Edea back through the curtain, both of them vanishing from the room. Within the day, the report had gone out that he'd been executed, though that turned out to be a lie put out by the Sorceress to hide the fact that Seifer had become her Knight.

"Approximately a week ago, after a failed assassination attempt, Edea ordered missiles to be launched at both Trabia and Balamb Gardens–"

"What?" Angelica breathed, horrified. "Why weren't we informed?"

"The missile base was destroyed before the first volley could be sent," Squall offered. "We weren't made aware that Trabia had been targeted until long after the incident, when we managed to get in contact with an agent in Galbadia Garden. That same agent warned us about Galbadia Garden's mobility and Sorceress Edea's intentions to attack first Balamb Garden, then Trabia Garden with her mobile base."

Angelica shook her head, then asked, "Do we know who destroyed the missile base?"

Squall paused for a split second, then shook his head. "No. Our agent said Edea has whoever it is, but I haven't heard anything more than that."

Xu narrowed her eyes. "You have an idea, though," she deduced. "Come on, Squall. Who do you think it was?"

"Squall, you know who it was?" Cid asked.

"I have a suspicion," Squall corrected. "There's one person who Edea trusted without question who has, since, completely fallen off the radar. For all we know, he's off on some nasty quest for her."

Xu blinked, then hissed, "You think _Seifer_ blew up the missile base?"

"Knights are loyal to a fault to their Sorceresses," Cid insisted, shaking his head. "Something more important to him than his Sorceress must have shaken him from his devotion, and I very much doubt there is such a thing."

Squall shrugged. "I said it was a suspicion, not fact."

Xu shook her head. "No, you're too logical for a mere suspicion. You know some–"

"Seifer and I have been together for as long as I can remember," Squall interrupted, voice sharper than he'd intended. "I am not infallible, Xu, and my emotions can control my mind just as much as the next person. It's a suspicion." He glared her down until she looked away.

Squall hadn't told anyone about Seifer being in the torture room, calling the shots. Whether to protect his rival's identity if it turned out he _was_ on their side or because of his own shame at Seifer having been his torturer, he wasn't certain, but he had every intention of taking that particular secret to his grave, assuming Seifer would let him.

The other man's too-green eyes, bright with madness, haunted his dreams at times; not as a nightmare, but as a sad, shattered memory. He wished the GFs would erase that memory from him, because he didn't want to remember Seifer like that; he wanted to remember green eyes over a taunting smile, or awash in jealous rage because Squall was ignoring him again. He wanted to remember green eyes burning over a gunblade, bright with the excitement of battle, or laughing with Raijin and Fujin over another nasty joke at someone else's expense.

"Whether this Knight is or isn't on our side is hardly a concern right now," Angelica interrupted the tense silence that had fallen. "Galbadia Garden is mobile, and there's only so long we can avoid them, especially if we're stuck in dock at FH, waiting on repairs. Do we know where they are right now?"

"Our last report was that they were headed towards you," Squall announced, eyes narrowed in thought. "With the Gardens mobile, our lines of communication are tentative, at best."

"Have you checked to see if your agent sent any new updates?" Cid asked, curious.

Squall shook his head. "It's barely been two days, and we're both pretty certain it's going to take longer than that for Galbadia Garden to make land near a city or town where access to the messaging service can be found. The morning is the absolute earliest, at my guess."

"I don't like sitting around, waiting for them to come to us," Angelica complained, rubbing a hand over her mouth. "How long have your repairs taken?"

"They estimated four days at the beginning, but they seem to be aiming for three, at this point," Xu offered. "I don't know how your systems look, so I can't say for sure for you."

"Our console looked more updated than what Selphie described to us," Angelica offered. "I can't tell you if it really was or not, however."

"Whether it was or not, the FH technicians may have just as much trouble fixing it," Squall commented thoughtfully. "Balamb will be ready sometime tomorrow evening, I believe. We can pull back from dock then and be ready to meet Galbadia if they make a surprise appearance. That should buy you any necessary time to evacuate any technicians or junior classmen before joining us."

"Assuming the controls will even work," Angelica added drily.

Squall shook his head. "The FH technicians can work on the controls without completely disconnecting them from the power ring. That was something we asked them before they started pulling the console apart, just in case. There's only a ten-minute gap of time where the system has to be cut to switch over to the new controller, but I'm pretty sure we can hold out against Galbadia for ten minutes."

"You're sure?" Angelica asked.

Squall's eyes hardened. "We're SeeD," he said by way of response.

Angelica nodded. "Good. Let's talk war."

Squall nodded and drew over a diagram of Balamb Garden that he'd made notations on, battle plans for a Garden-to-Garden fight. Even Cid and Xu got involved in the discussion, which went well into the evening.

-0-

Squall sighed as his door slid shut behind him, the lock clicking into place. Being Commander was a lot of unexpected work, but he felt better about the coming engagement with Galbadia Garden after having hashed out all the details. Unlike Cid, Angelica had a logical mind suited for battle tactics, which let the two of them argue various troop placements while Xu and Cid looked on, bemused.

Something on his bed shifted and Squall pulled out a knife hidden in one of his many belts as he crept forward, eyes squinting in the dark, as if it would help them adapt. Finally, almost to the bed, he recognised the jumper-dress and the flipped hair. He sighed and slipped the knife away before crouching next to his bed. "Selphie," he murmured, touching her shoulder.

Selphie mumbled wordlessly in her sleep and turned over, clutching Squall's pillow to her chest like a teddy bear.

"Selphie," he tried again.

Selphie made a weak batting motion with one hand, then curled around the pillow a bit more.

Squall shook his head, torn between amusement and irritation. Amusement won, so he hunted down the extra blankets and pillow he kept in the cupboard for cold nights – the heater in his old room had often failed at the worst times, so both he and his roommate had kept spare blankets, and he had the extra pillow because his roommate had once stolen his for his girlfriend – and set them out on the floor. A quick trip to the bathroom saw him changed into the loose sleep trousers he favoured and he lay down in his makeshift bed. Two knives were placed in easy reach, then he closed his eyes and settled in to sleep.

-0-

"Squally?" Selphie wondered sleepily as she peeked over the edge of the bed. "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Squall grunted, eyes clenched shut against the bar of light that happened to slip through the blinds and directly into his eyes. "You're in my bed," he muttered, turning over. He swore the bar of light was following him.

"You could have slept with me," Selphie pointed out.

Squall gave up on avoiding the light and sat up. After a moment of blinking at the face that was too close to his, he glared over his shoulder at the blinds, deciding it had bothered him the most that morning.

Selphie giggled into her hand and reached out to touch the mess of hair that looked even more tousled than usual. "I don't think I've ever seen you when you've just woken up, before," she commented. Sure, they'd slept on the road to Galbadia Garden and during those strange dreams of Laguna, but Squall had never really relaxed at that time. Not like he had in his own room.

Squall grunted, deciding the blinds had been sufficiently glared into submission and turned to the other annoyance. "Why were you in my bed, anyway?" he asked.

Selphie opened her mouth to answer, but then she recognised the pale circle of skin at his right shoulder and her voice caught. She reached out a trembling hand and touched the mark, only to pull away at the disconcerting chill of the too-pale skin.

Squall blinked, then glanced down at the scar. "Ah," he said, blank blue-grey eyes turning back towards her. "It's nothing, Selphie."

"It's..." She paused to swallow, clenching her fingers. "It's _cold_ ," she whispered.

Squall shrugged. "Sorceress magic," he offered. "Doctor Kadowaki thinks it's likely to remain slightly colder than my normal body temperature for the rest of my life."

"It doesn't bother you?" Selphie asked, reaching out again to touch the mark, prepared for the chill that time.

"I don't relish the winter, but, no, not really. It's just another scar."

"You could have _died_ ," Selphie whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

Squall reached up and covered the hand on his shoulder with one of his own. "I have no intention in dying from something as simple as a pike of ice."

"S-simple?" Selphie choked. "You call that _simple_?"

"We're mercenaries," Squall reminded her gently. "Compared to the deaths of most of our kin, a pike of ice _is_ simple, even if it was thrown by a Sorceress. It didn't kill me, and I doubt the next one will, either."

"There won't _be_ another one," Selphie hissed, eyes narrowed.

Squall shrugged. "You don't know that." His eyes were sombre as he pulled her hand away from the cold skin and held it between both of his hands to warm it. "For as long as Matron lives, another pike could come. Perhaps it will kill me, perhaps it won't. The future is an uncertain thing."

Selphie closed her eyes. "Why do you have to be so _sensible_?" she pleaded.

"Someone has to," Squall replied, letting go of her hand and standing in a fluid motion. "I need to go into town and check to see if Irvine's responded. Did you want to come, or did you have something planned with your friends from Trabia?"

Selphie shook her head. "We don't have anything planned until this afternoon. Want to meet by the second floor deck?"

"Sure. Fifteen minutes?" Squall agreed, hunting down some fresh clothing.

"Sounds good." Selphie made a point to grab her boots and nunchakus before heading for the door, not bothering to put the boots on.

"Selphie," Squall called just before she could open the door, a strained note in his voice.

"I'm not putting my boots on until I've changed," Selphie declared, shooting a scowl over her shoulder.

Squall was very determinedly looking the other way. "Pull down your dress."

Selphie glanced down and was surprised to find her dress riding up to her hips, violently orange panties obviously showing. "Oops," she said with a laugh as she pulled down the dress. "Sorry about that, Squally."

Squall waved her on, still refusing to look.

Selphie giggled at him, then hurried from his room and down the hall to her own. She could already hear the gossip starting about her sleeping with the stoic Commander and she rolled her eyes at the lot of them. Even Sonya and Antonio thought she and Squall were an item, for all that they both knew how she tended to cling to anyone a head taller than her. Insisting that Squall was just her little brother had made her friends laugh and she was sort of irritated with them for it, even if she was glad to see them again.

She quickly stripped upon entering her room and hopped into the shower for a quick cleaning. Once she was out, she started drying herself, only to pause and stare at her reflection in the mirror. She touched her right shoulder, where Squall's too-cold scar was, eyes sad. He had all sorts of scars, she'd seen, and his blasé comment about the one from the Sorceress just made her sad; what sort of person was so used to receiving new scars that he didn't care about them anymore?

She glanced down at her own two scars, one on her left hip from a training accident at Trabia Garden five years ago, the other on her right outer thigh from their fight with Seifer before Squall distracted him. She didn't care for either of them, but they had been too old for a full healing by the time she'd reached proper medical assistance.

"Maybe I'm just vain," she decided, roughly attacking her hair with the towel. "Squall's right, we're mercenaries; I'll get lots more scars before I die, and not all of them will be hidden by my clothing." She smiled faintly at the memory of the scar between Squall's eyes, which gave him a sort of roguish charm. "Maybe I'll get a nice scar," she decided, "like Squall's. Not exactly his, though, 'cause I can't pull it off like he can, but... Maybe I can talk someone into giving me a little star-shaped scar under one eye? That would be cute..."

She giggled to herself as she slipped on her boots and secured her nunchakus at her back before skipping out her door.

Squall was waiting for her at their designated meeting spot and they both placed their preferred weapons into the locked box, then stepped out on the deck and climbed up onto the crane.

"How did your meeting go?" Selphie asked as they started down the crane walkway, holding his arm in one hand.

"It was productive," Squall allowed.

Selphie translated that to mean that things had gone particularly well and smiled. "Good. Did you like Headmistress Angelica?"

"She's more sensible than Cid."

Selphie laughed. "I can see that. I take it we're hoping Irvine can tell us where Galbadia Garden is?"

"Basically."

Selphie nodded and let go of Squall so he could navigate a particularly tricky step, then help her down.

"Why were you in my bed?" Squall asked as they set off down the track towards the inn.

"Oh, uhm..." Selphie flushed and clutched Squall's arm a little tighter. "You're going to laugh."

Squall sighed. "I'm not going to laugh at you, Selphie."

"You're going to think I'm strange!"

"Since when is that new?"

Selphie smiled at that, admitting that Squall had a point. "Well... I told you about my nightmares, right?"

"Mmhm."

"When I was little, back when I first joined Trabia, after my adopted parents died, I couldn't sleep without something of theirs. It was like... Like a teddy bear, you know? I could smell them and it didn't hurt so much that they were gone."

Squall considered that for a moment. "I'm still here," he pointed out.

"I know." Selphie stepped a touch closer, walking awkwardly, but taking comfort in Squall's nearness. "It's silly, but it helps. I suppose I could just steal your pillow..."

Squall snorted. "It's not a big deal," he assured her, "I just wasn't expecting to find you there. If you want to sleep in my room, I won't stop you."

Selphie beamed up at him. "Really?!"

"Really." Squall gently extracted his arm from her hold and ushered her into the inn.

"Even though people are going to talk?" Selphie wondered, worried again.

"People always talk," Squall replied, shrugging. "They're not happy if they don't have something to gossip about."

Selphie giggled nervously. She supposed that was true.

Squall logged into his messaging account and glanced through his messages idly. He finally came across one from Irvine, sent two hours ago, and popped it open.

_"RH is SE's Knight. On way to FH. ETA 5 hrs."_

" _Fuck_ ," Squall swore.

"RH?" Selphie asked from his elbow, fear creeping through her stomach.

"Rinoa." Squall quickly logged out and turned towards the main street. "Our repairs won't be finished for another five hours, at _least_ , and Trabia isn't in fighting condition. We were supposed to have more time than this."

"How'd they find out?" Selphie gasped, jogging slightly to keep up with Squall's longer stride.

Squall's expression darkened. "I have a good idea, and I'm going to _kill her_."

Selphie paused, thinking that over. Then it clicked and she hurried to catch up.

Quistis had messaged Rinoa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XD Cliffhangers are rockin'. Don't you hate me?  
> Now, I think I'll go cackle a bit over there before starting the next chapter. Quisty's gonna get a talking to!
> 
>  ** _Translations for Irvine's messages:_**  
>  **FH** \- Fisherman's Horizon  
>  **SE** \- Sorceress Edea  
>  **RH** \- Rinoa Heartilly


	5. Guilty By Association

"Can you find Quistis and Zell for me and send them to the meeting room?" Squall asked as they stepped back into Garden and pulled out their weapons from the locker.

"Sure thing. Where do you want me?" Selphie asked, expression serious to combat the fear churning her stomach.

"On the bridge," Squall decided. "I'm not sure how much they changed of the controls, but you and I are our only pilots right now. A couple of SeeDs were supposed to be trained on the new system as soon as it was hooked in, but that's clearly a pipe dream at this point."

"I'll meet you on the bridge, then," she promised before sprinting for the stairs down.

Squall took the lift up, using the emergency override code Cid had given him to make it move faster. On the third floor, he strode with measured steps to the meeting-room-turned-office and was almost relieved to find Angelica and Xu both in attendance with Cid, sharing breakfast. "We have a very large problem," he announced as he shut the door behind him.

"I don't like large problems," Cid muttered, pushing his plate away.

"Let me guess, Galbadia Garden is headed this way?" Angelica suggested grimly.

"We've got about three hours," Squall agreed, leaning against the back of a chair. "Balamb has another five hours or so of work, and Trabia hasn't even been looked at. This is, quite possibly, the worst case scenario."

"Not nearly as bad as it could be," Xu insisted. "You said we've got three hours?"

"Estimated, yeah. Now Edea knows where we are, she's probably booking it. I say as little as two hours."

Xu nodded and stood. "I'll see if the FH technicians can't speed things up a bit. Can you and Selphie give a quick-and-dirty to a couple replacement pilots?"

"We'll do our best. Selphie should be heading for the bridge as soon as..." A knock on the door interrupted him and he narrowed his eyes. "Excellent. I have an idiot to yell at. Xu, tell Selphie whatever you need. Angelica, I leave your Garden to you. Cid, could you put out the emergency call and start evacuating the non-combatants onshore?"

"Consider it done," Cid agreed as he and Angelica stood. The other three left the room, brushing past the two nervous SeeDs who stood outside.

"Come in," Squall said, glancing at the two of them from behind his bangs. He remained leaning on the back of the chair as they shuffled in and took the seats across from him. "Zell, I need your answer: Will you fight Matron?"

Zell swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. You can count on me."

Squall nodded. "In that case, please report to the main gate. We have an ETA of two hours for Galbadia Garden."

Zell paled and stood from his chair. He was halfway to the door when he realised Quistis was still seated, skin bleached white under the weight of Squall's cold stare. "What about–"

"The main gate, please," Squall said in a perfectly calm voice.

A shudder raced up Zell's spine and he quit the room with all due haste.

Squall simply remained leaning against the chair, watching Quistis grow progressively more terrified for a good five minutes before he said, "I told you not to message Rinoa."

"I was worried about her," Quistis breathed. "She was all alone, surrounded by enemies–"

"Allies," Squall corrected, voice distressingly calm. "She was surrounded by allies. She's Edea's new Knight."

Quistis shook her head. "No. No, Rinoa wouldn't–"

"What the fuck do you think you know about Rinoa?" Squall hissed, anger colouring his voice for a moment before he regained control of himself. "We knew her for less than a week, Quistis," he continued in that calm voice, an added note of friendship in it now that made her curl back against her chair. "Perhaps you were bosom buddies in another life? Perhaps you've simply developed a crush on her? Rinoa _is_ quite pretty, in a spoiled princess sort of way."

Quistis felt anger coil in her stomach at Squall's pleasantly stated words and she grabbed it with a stranglehold to launch a response, "How _dare_ you!"

Squall's friendly act vanished in a breath, true rage lurking behind quicksilver eyes. "Quistis Trepe, your refusal to listen to the better judgement of your peers has placed not only this entire Garden in danger, but also Trabia Garden and Fisherman's Horizon. _If_ we survive this clash, I will deliver a proper sentence upon you. For now, I'm stripping you of your rank and title as SeeD. You will be evacuated with the junior classmen to Fisherman's Horizon, sans _all_ weapons. The only concession I grant you is that I won't have you hobbled like a common farm animal." He pushed away from the chair. "Identifications and weapons on the table. And don't think I won't notice if you 'accidentally' forget to remove a knife."

That said, Squall stepped out into the hallway and waved down one of the many SeeDs dashing through the hall like a panicked chicken. The man stopped in front of him and shot off a quick salute. "Commander Leonhart."

"Are you in the process of something important?" Squall enquired evenly.

"Uh, no, sir. I'm free for whatever you need of me."

Squall nodded and stepped back into the meeting room, the SeeD following. He did a quick count of the knives on the table, took note of the handgun, whip and identifications, then nodded. "Please escort Miss Trepe down to the second floor deck. She will be going ashore with the junior classmen."

Quistis obediently stood and walked past Squall's cold gaze and out the door, refusing to look up. The SeeD blinked in confusion, but one glance at the icy eyes of the Commander had him hurrying after Quistis like the Sorceress herself was on his tail.

Squall took a deep breath and shoved his anger behind sturdy walls. He could deal with Quistis and her stupid, bull-headed mistakes after Garden was safe and Edea was dealt with. For now, he had an army to lead and pilots to teach.

-0-

The FH technicians managed an admirable job with the time limit they'd been set. They managed to completely hook up Garden's new steering control, which was possibly the most idiot-proof toy in the entire building – Squall figured there was probably a good reason for that – and dismantle most of the old controls. There were still bits and pieces strewn around, but with only Squall, Xu, and two pilots in attendance and standing in specific positions, that wasn't much of a problem. Xu stood by the far window, keeping an eye out for their enemy while Squall stood next to the comm, ready to give orders as soon as they were required.

The FH technicians had gone a step above getting Balamb Garden into top working shape: they'd managed, in twenty minutes, to boost Trabia Garden's reaction time, set up a Garden-to-Garden radio system, and teach both Gardens' pilots how to make the buildings list, giving the appearance that neither Garden was in complete working order. Trabia was even pressed tight against the crane, as if still in dock.

Something about Squall and Angelica's determination to keep Galbadia Garden away from FH had touched even the mayor's Garden-hating heart, spurring the entire city to assist in whatever way they could, be it assisting with repairs or offering shelter to those who'd been evacuated. Mayor Dobe had taken in Cid and Quistis, whom the Headmaster had promised to keep an eye on, and promised to treat them like kin.

"Ten o'clock!" Xu shouted.

Squall narrowed his eyes against the glare of the sun on the ocean and only just made out the flash of too-red that was Galbadia Garden. "ETA?" he asked.

Xu considered that for a moment, doing quick calculations in her head. "Ten to fifteen minutes."

Squall nodded and pressed the button to open both the Garden-wide intercom and the Garden-to-Garden radio. "Galbadia Garden has been spotted. Ten minutes to battle-ready."

The bridge remained tensely silent as they watched Galbadia speed ever closer.

Finally, about three minutes out, Squall snapped, "Front gate, prepare for incoming. Everyone brace for impact. Trabia, turn in five...four...three...two... NOW!"

Balamb rocked with the force of Galbadia's ram. The red Garden had time to unload a wave of troops before it was rammed by the determined Trabia Garden.

 _"Back them towards the ocean,"_ Angelica called, cold violence in her voice. _"Keep the fuckers well away from FH. Quad, you've got flyers coming your way."_

Squall nodded to Nida, their pilot, and the SeeD grimly pulled back from Galbadia, then jerked forward in a ramming motion, sending the red Garden back from Trabia.

In a complicated game of leap frog, warnings of attack flowing smoothly from the bridges of both Gardens, they managed to push Galbadia back far enough that they could no longer see FH in the distance. Because there were two of them, one Garden could take a brief break to fight off any Galbadians in their halls while the other engaged the red Garden, but Galbadia Garden never got that rest, for all that they almost certainly outnumbered the SeeDs and upper classmen in both Trabia and Balamb three to one, and it was starting to show in their sluggish movements and how they gave more and more ground.

 _"Ready, Squall?"_ Angelica asked, tone blood-thirsty. The last portion of their violent dance involved Squall, Angelica, Selphie, and Zell transporting over to Galbadia Garden to deal with Edea.

"I'll see you in hell," Squall agreed grimly. "Xu, you have the bridge."

"Good luck, Commander," Xu intoned, saluting. Nida and the second pilot, Warren, both saluted as well.

Squall returned the salute, then took the lift down to the office and hurried for the main lift. Over the intercom, he could hear Xu sounding out words of encouragement to their exhausted troops, something she was _far_ better at than Squall.

On the main level, he hurried past wounded students and SeeDs alike, nodding briskly to their salutes. Trabia and Balamb had divided their resources, ensuring that they had an equal number of SeeDs and students on both Gardens before they started their attack, so it wasn't just the familiar faces of Balamb that he saw, but the tired grins of Trabia's brightest. He even saw a couple of Galbadian students or soldiers being disarmed and treated by Balamb's medical teams – Kadowaki had a strict policy that she helped anyone who was wounded, no matter whose side they were on; Squall hadn't seen the point in arguing it with her, but he did insist that anyone from Galbadia be disarmed before they were treated.

Selphie and Zell waited for him by the main entrance, both grim-faced and covered in blood – their own and that of others.

"Good luck!" someone from the surrounding defending forces called as the three SeeDs started towards where Balamb's edge rested half on Galbadia, pinning it.

"Teach that Sorceress why you don't mess with Garden!" someone else shouted. A roar of approval followed that declaration.

Just before they crossed over into enemy territory, Squall turned and saluted the tired and bloody group cheering them on, his way of saying 'thanks' and 'stay safe' and a million other things that he couldn't hope to articulate on his best day.

But they seemed to understand, all returning the salute with smiles and a couple waves.

"Let's go," Squall murmured to his two teammates and they jumped down onto Galbadian soil.

A lone form awaited them at the main entrance, hat tipped in a sign of greeting. "Howdy," Irvine called.

Squall strode forward and they clasped hands. "Thanks," the Commander said.

Irvine offered him a crooked smile. "I couldn't stand back and watch you die."

"I know."

Selphie wrapped her arms around Irvine's arm and leaned against him. "Irvy, I'm glad you're okay," she offered, shooting Squall a hopeful look under her lashes.

"I'm not stealing his hat for you, Selphie," Squall said drily. Next to him, Zell laughed.

Irvine grinned and dropped his hat onto the girl's head. "How's that, then?" he asked her.

Selphie grinned back, looking up at him with bright eyes from under the brim.

"Flirt later, kids," Angelica ordered as she walked up to join them, flicking blood off her long blade with a twitch of her wrist. "Squall," she said to the gunblader.

Squall inclined his head in greeting, then offered, "Irvine, Angelica Fields, Headmistress of Trabia Garden. Angelica, Irvine Kinneas, our foster brother and Galbadian agent."

Irvine's head jerked up in surprise at the admittance of relation, eyes shining.

Angelica held out a hand to the shooter. "I suppose we have you to thank for saving our asses, then."

Irvine coughed. "Guess so," he agreed, shaking his head as he returned the handshake.

"Can you lead us to Edea?" Squall requested.

"Yeah. She's in the Headmaster's office. Rinoa's probably there, too."

"Rinoa?" Zell repeated as they started inside, the main hall empty of enemies.

"She's Edea's new Knight," Irvine explained. "I only found out just before we left Dollet. She got a message or something that led us straight to you."

Zell grimaced and glanced up at Squall's impassive expression. Quistis having gone missing made more sense now.

"Where's Seifer, then?" Selphie wondered. "And why would Edea switch Knights?"

"I don't know," Irvine admitted. "I haven't seen Seifer since the float."

Angelica glanced at the stoic Commander at her side. "It looks like your 'suspicion' isn't so far off after all, Squall."

Squall's jaw clenched. "Don't think I'm happy about it. I'd rather he was off doing something devious in Edea's name."

"You know where Seifer is?" Selphie asked, looking back at him from where she walked at Irvine's side.

"I suspect Seifer was the one to blow up the missile base," Squall said.

" _Fuck_ ," Irvine breathed, glancing back over his shoulder. "If that's... Edea's had him for a _week_ , Squall. We'll be lucky if he's still _alive_ , let alone sane and in one piece."

Squall's cold gaze said more than words exactly what sort of shape he expected to find his rival in.

"No time to waste," Irvine declared, stepping up the pace.

They only came across a couple soldiers on their way up to the second floor lift, and both of them were swiftly dealt with, barely forcing the party to slow their pace.

When they stepped out of the lift into the Headmaster's office, Rinoa stood waiting for them with a grateful smile. "Squall! You've come to rescue me!" she called, eyes immediately picking the Commander out of the group.

Squall held out Revolver, keeping her a couple paces back. "If by 'rescue you', you mean kill Edea so you no longer have anyone to Knight for, then, yes, I'm here to 'rescue you'."

Rinoa pouted and her eyes picked out the auburn shooter. "So _you_ were our mole."

Irvine flashed her a winning smile from under his returned hat in response.

Edea's laughter flowed over them and the Sorceress stepped through the drapes that hid most of the room. "Well, well. If it isn't my sweet children, come home at last. But, what's this? You seem to be missing one."

"Quistis is on probation," Squall bit out. "Where's Seifer?"

Edea smiled patronisingly. "My traitorous former Knight?" she wondered, voice sweet with poison. "Why, he's here to watch the show." She waved a hand and a gust of wind blew some curtains out of the way, revealing a glass container about Squall's height which held Seifer's battered form. It was barely wide enough for the large man to half-stoop, posture defeated as he rested against the glass, eyes closed. Above him, at the neck of the container, a cluster of ice pikes rested precariously, occasionally dripping water as they slowly melted.

"Hyne," Selphie breathed, horrified.

"Isn't it a work of art?" Edea asked, voice holding a note of pride. "If left to sit, the pikes will eventually fall and kill him. If you try to break the glass or pull the pikes out one at a time, they'll still fall." She laughed. "A fitting end for a traitor." Mad gold eyes looked over the tense forms standing before the lift. "Twice a traitor."

"Can you get him out of there?" Angelica asked Squall, considering their opponents. She'd already discovered the young Commander to have a quick mind and a tendency to see paths others ignored. Playing chess with him would have been a real challenge.

Squall glanced back at the glass container, possibilities flashing behind quicksilver eyes. "I don't know."

"If anyone can, it's you," Selphie said with certainty. "Just like last time: Leave the Sorceress to us and take care of Seifer."

"And Rinoa?" Squall asked, already turning his attention to getting Seifer out.

"I'll handle the Knight," Angelica said grimly.

Irvine cocked his gun and fired a shot, which Edea blocked. That was enough of a signal, however, and the four melee fighters jumped into motion, Angelica heading for a startled Rinoa, Squall towards Seifer, and Zell and Selphie towards Edea.

Squall trusted the others to keep their enemies distracted and came to a stop next to the container, running through possibilities. _'Tipping the container might enable me to get the pikes out without them hurting Seifer, but they could also fall in the process. He also doesn't look like he'd do well being tipped on the side. Can't break the glass, can't pull the pikes out. Doubt I can melt the damn things fast enough...'_

Squall's hold tightened around Revolver's hilt, then he paused and looked down at his blade, turning it on the side and considering the width of it. He glanced back up at the cluster of pikes, an idea forming. _'I think I can catch all of them on my blade,'_ he realised. _'It'll be tricky timing it right, but I think–'_

The pikes jostled as one of them melted in just the right spot and they sunk another four centimetres or so closer to Seifer's bowed head. The blond didn't even look up, and Squall was suddenly struck with the fear that his rival was already dead.

He reached out and knocked lightly on the glass, relief washing over him when the blond's eyes fluttered open. The relief was short-lived, however, as he took note of the deadened tint in the green eyes.

Seifer stared for a minute, face blank, but then recognition flashed behind the dead eyes, followed closely by a sick horror and so much regret. He reached up one shaking hand and touched the glass on the other side from where Squall's own hand still rested against it. 'I'm sorry,' he mouthed.

Squall narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Seifer," he hissed, pulling his hand back and pointing up at the pikes dripping down on the blond. "I'm getting you out," he said when Seifer looked back at him, uncomprehending.

Seifer smiled bitterly and shook his head. 'I'm going to die in here,' he mouthed. 'Take care of the Sorceress and leave me.'

"The _fuck_ I will!" Squall spat. "Put your hands over your head." If he missed any pikes with his blade, he didn't want them having easy access to Seifer's head.

'It's not going to work,' Seifer mouthed, not moving.

"Then at least I'll have the pleasure of having been the one to kill you. Put your _fucking_ hands over your _fucking_ head, Seifer!"

Seifer let out a silent sigh, but moved his arms over his head, wincing when he moved his left arm. Squall spotted what looked like poorly-healed burns through what was left of Seifer's coat and he ground his teeth together against the fury that roared through him.

 _'No time for anger,'_ Squall reminded himself, circling the glass container so he was standing at Seifer's shoulder. If any pikes got past his blade, hopefully they'd only hit the blond's legs from this angle, rather than something vital. He took a deep breath, calming himself as best he could, then held his blade back. Another deep breath and he swung, eyes hard as he judged everything in the blink of an eye.

The ring of steel on glass rang through the room, followed by ice on steel. Then, silence fell over all of them as the fighters across the room turned to see what Squall had done.

Squall stepped back from Revolver, unable to suppress a smirk at the way his trusty blade had caught every single ice pike just above Seifer's head. Shocked green eyes stared up at him from under the steel, unharmed by Squall's actions.

" _ **NO**!!_ " Edea screamed, true rage in her voice. Her hands motioned to form new ice pikes, but the chain of Selphie's nunchakus wrapped around her wrists, stopping her.

"Not this time, Matron," the tiny SeeD spat.

"You're fighting us, not Squall," Zell agreed grimly, dancing in to deliver two punishing blows to the Sorceress' stomach.

"You did it," Seifer's voice rasped.

Squall pulled a knife out from his belt and started chipping away at the cracked glass, taking care not to disrupt the glass Revolver was balanced between. "You're not free yet, asshole."

Seifer was quiet for a long moment, the sounds of the battle in the distance and Squall carefully chipping away at the glass filling the silence between them. Finally, he whispered, "I tortured you."

Squall's sharp grey-blue eyes glanced up at him, then returned to their current duty.

"I was the Sorceress' Knight–"

"Was," Squall agreed, eyes glancing at Seifer again. "You _were_ her Knight; you gave all that up and saved almost three hundred lives."

"...I tortured you."

"It was war." Squall shrugged.

"That doesn't make it _right_ ," Seifer hissed, then stopped to cough as his throat complained about all the abuse it had suffered.

Squall watched him with concern glinting deep in his eyes until the older teen stopped coughing. Then he returned to his work on the glass, offering, "No, it doesn't. But I'm not holding it against you."

"Why _not_?"

"Because I've known you practically all my life, Seifer, and in that torture room was the _only_ time I've ever seen madness in your eyes." Squall met startled green eyes. "Maybe you joined Edea willingly, maybe you believe you were willing to torture me for your own sick amusement, I don't know and I honestly don't care. All I know was that there was something wrong with you in that room." He returned his attention to the glass, carefully removing a chunk the size of his hand.

Seifer's gaze flickered towards where Angelica had joined Selphie, Zell and Irvine in finishing off Edea. "They don't believe that," he stated.

"They don't know," Squall corrected. "I never told them you were there."

" _What_?"

Squall shrugged. "You're right, they would never accept you back if they knew you tortured me. There." He tugged on another large piece and stepped back. "Can you squeeze through that?"

Seifer stared at the slighter teen for a long moment, disbelieving, then shook his head. "I don't get you, Squall."

"Can you squeeze through that?" Squall repeated, deciding to ignore further discussion of how much Seifer deserved to die for his sins; as far as Squall was concerned, a week in Edea's grasp was penance enough for whatever Seifer may or may not have done.

Seifer considered the hole. "Maybe," he decided. "But I can't move my left leg."

Squall took note of the awkward angle of the mentioned limb and nodded, stepping forward to offer what assistance he could.

Together, Squall and Seifer were able to extract the ex-Knight from the glass container. Before Squall could even consider working on fixing Seifer's injuries, Edea let out a long scream and the room flashed with white light, blinding them all before the darkness of unconsciousness fell over them.

-0-

Squall woke to a gentle hand on his forehead.

"Squall?" a gentle woman's voice whispered. "Child, are you okay?"

Squall blinked his eyes open, confused for a moment to find concerned brown eyes peering down at him from behind Sorceress Edea's make-up. Then his mind caught up with him and he pulled out a knife, which he held to her throat. "Back," he ordered.

Edea obediently shuffled backwards, expression guilty and sick. "I'm sorry, Squall," she whispered as the teen sat up, keeping the knife to her throat. "I never meant to hurt any of you. I'm so sorry..."

Squall took a moment to orient himself, eyes flashing over the room. The others laid in a huddle where they'd fallen, still unconscious. Seifer lay on his back, some healthy colour back in his cheeks and his leg at a more natural angle. He hadn't healed the ex-Knight, and Edea was the only other one awake. That, more than his own retention of life, made him order, "Tell me."

Edea nodded. "There's a Sorceress in the future, Ultimecia, who has the ability to travel to her past and possess other Sorceresses. She's looking for Ellone so she can be sent further back and enact Time Compression. She wants to destroy the world, I think."

Squall narrowed his eyes as he considered all that. _'A Sorceress from the future possessing Matron? Sounds like a load of bull, but...'_ His gaze flickered towards Seifer again. _'That's a dramatic personality shift. She wanted Seifer **dead**. She wanted **all** of us dead.'_ He looked back towards the woman kneeling in front of him, an all-consuming regret raging in her brown eyes.

 _"...she suddenly started acting a little odd about three months ago..."_ Cid's voice echoed in Squall's mind, a memory from their meeting with Angelica.

 _'Possession,'_ Squall mused. _'I can believe that.'_ He drew his knife back. "Where's Ultimecia now?" he asked.

Edea shook her head. "I don't know. She's gone, but she could return at any moment. Squall..." She reached out a hand and set it over the healed ice pike wound on his shoulder. "I'm so _sorry_..."

"So am I," Squall agreed, flipping the knife in his hand. He slammed the hilt into her temple, reaching out and catching her as she slumped to the side. _'She's right, Ultimecia could return at any moment. We need to get her into isolation in Garden. Quickly.'_ He gently set her on the ground and climbed to his feet. After slipping his knife away, he walked over to the others and set about waking them.

"Where's Edea?" Angelica demanded as soon as she was awake.

Squall pointed behind him. "She healed Seifer and woke me," he offered, reading the murderous intent in her eyes. "She claims she was being possessed by another Sorceress." He reached down and shook Selphie's shoulder, Irvine already up and waking Zell.

"And you _believed her_?" Angelica hissed.

Squall sat back on his heels. "Angelica, she wanted us _dead_. She was up and aware before any of us, but we're still alive. She let me hold a knife to her throat without retaliation, and she didn't try defending herself when I knocked her out. I have no intention in leaving her free to walk around on her own, but I believe there may be some truth to her claims."

Angelica considered that while the others finished shaking off their brief nap. Selphie walked over and checked on Rinoa, expression troubled. "She's still out cold," she announced.

"Let's keep it that way," Squall decided. "Zell, could you carry Rinoa?"

"You got it," Zell agreed.

"I can probably get Seifer," Irvine offered.

Squall nodded. "I'll get Edea, then. Angelica, Selphie, we're leaving it you you two to protect us from anyone on our way out."

Selphie shot off a playful salute while Angelica nodded, putting aside her thoughts for the moment.

Squall paused long enough to free Revolver from the glass container, grim-faced when the action sent the left over ice pikes scattering to the bottom of the container in a parody of what might have happened if he hadn't freed Seifer. After holstering his gunblade, he gathered Edea into his arms and nodded for them to leave, Rinoa and Seifer already held by the other two young men.

They came across a couple Galbadians on their way out, but they let the party pass without any overtures of violence.

"Didn't expect them to give up that easy," Irvine murmured under his breath, walking close enough to Squall that their arms brushed occasionally.

"Perhaps Matron left them a message before waking me," Squall replied just as quietly.

Irvine nodded in agreement, then commented, "You remember."

"Cid told me," Squall explained. "I told the others."

Irvine nodded again, considering the three walking ahead of them. "Where's Quisty?"

"She's the one who messaged Rinoa." Squall sighed. "I understand that she was worried, but we told her it was too dangerous. And she did it anyway."

"What's going to happen to her?" Irvine wondered, worry in his voice. When Squall's eyes flashed with anger, Irvine hurried to add, "She's our sister, Squall. Maybe she did something stupid, but we can't just let them toss her in isolation."

"I don't know what I'm going to do with her," Squall admitted, voice tight. "She put all of us in danger, including the people in FH. But if she hadn't contacted Rinoa when she did, Seifer might be dead right now."

Irvine frowned. "You?" he asked. "You're to decide her punishment?"

Squall glanced up at him, eyes tired. "I'm the Commander of SeeD."

Irvine's eyes widened. " _What_? Since _when_?"

"About two days ago. Cid talked me into it." Squall shrugged. "Handling Quistis' punishment is my job. For now, she's stripped of her rank and weapons. Cid's keeping an eye on her in FH."

Any further discussion was left for later as they jumped over to Balamb Garden to loud cheers.

Squall immediately stepped forward to take charge. "Selphie, show Irvine to the infirmary and ask Kadowaki to send one of her medics down to solitary. Zell, we'll be taking these two down to the cells." He turned to the crowd that had welcomed them back as Selphie and Irvine started inside. "I need two teams to get together with some of Trabia's people and go in and round up anyone left in Galbadia. They seem to have surrendered, but I'd like them disarmed and under guard. Angelica, can you oversee that?"

"I'll make sure it's done. Get that Sorceress locked up."

Squall inclined his head and started in, motioning for a nearby cadet to walk in stride with him and Zell. "Go up to the bridge and let Xu know we're back and that she can let everyone stand down. I'll join her on the bridge as soon as our guests are taken care of."

"Sir!" The cadet snapped off a quick salute, then turned and jogged towards the lift while Zell and Squall peeled off and made for the staircase down to the solitary cells.

"You really think Matron was possessed?" Zell asked once their burdens had been placed in cells and the magic-suppressing setting had been turned on for both cells. Rinoa was also forcefully un-junctioned from any magic and GFs she had, just in case.

"I believe there's some credence to the idea," Squall replied.

The medic from Kadowaki arrived then and Squall explained the situation to him, cautioning against turning off the magic suppression on Edea's cell in particular, but insisting that they both be treated, in spite of their status as their enemies.

"I'll stay down here," Zell promised while the medic was seeing to Rinoa. "You should check in with Xu and be the Commander."

"Make sure you get looked over before the medic leaves," Squall ordered before starting up the stairs. On the main floor, he was joined by Irvine and Selphie, both of whom had gotten a quick healing at Kadowaki's hands, then sent off with the preliminary reports of injuries and casualties.

"It could have been worse," Selphie offered as they entered the lift and Squall grimly looked over the paper Kadowaki had scrawled the numbers on.

"I'm aware of that," Squall agreed, "but that doesn't make this any better. Trabia should have their preliminary reports by now, as well. We'll have to wait to see how Galbadia fared."

"What are you going to do with Galbadia, anyway?" Irvine asked as the lift let them out on the top floor and they started towards Cid's old office.

"I understand that many people were only siding with Edea because there wasn't another choice," Squall said. "The trouble will be sorting out those who were siding with her out of fear from those who did it for their own amusement."

"Never mind figuring out punishments for them," Xu interrupted, stepping forward with a dark glint in her eyes. "Xu Han, Head of Staff," she offered with her hand to Irvine.

"Irvine Kinneas," the sharpshooter replied with a twist of his usual flirty smile.

"We've got the preliminary casualty report," Squall offered, holding out the paper to the woman. "Have we heard from Trabia yet?"

Xu nodded, glancing over the sheet. "They suffered fewer casualties than we did, but many more injuries. Both Gardens also suffered some external damage from all the ramming. The cafeteria is a mess."

"Zell will be so upset," Squall returned drily, earning him tired smiles from both Xu and Selphie. "Both Sorceress Edea and her current Knight are in solitary, and the Galbadian forces seem content to lay down their arms without further problems. Once we've got them under watch, I'd like to get one of our pilots at their controls and move everyone back to FH. We all need repairs, and we left a number of Garden students in the presence of pacifists."

"Let's hope the city is still in one piece when we get back," Xu agreed with a smile. "Why don't we adjourn to the meeting room and eat something light while you catch me up on why the Sorceress is still alive?"

Squall nodded and glanced at the two teens who'd come up with him. "Irvine, could you see if you can lend a hand in rounding up the Galbadia Garden people? You know that Garden better than any of us."

"You got it."

"Selphie, see what sort of assistance you can give Doctor Kadowaki, please?"

Selphie nodded. "Sure thing. I'll let you know if anything changes with Seifer, too."

"Hm." Squall waved her off, turning to follow Xu to the meeting room.


	6. Clouds Are the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sort of turned into a series of short moments during the days following the battle between the Gardens. Because nothing particularly huge occurs, but things are still happening, if that makes any sense?

Squall leaned against the wall and tugged off his boots before slipping into the infirmary. The door of Kadowaki's bedroom was cracked open and Squall crept past it and into the room Seifer was in. There, he set his boots on the floor next to the chair to one side before dropping into the uncomfortable seat with some relief.

It had been three hours before they'd been able to limp the three Gardens back to FH. The technicians had set up a second docking station out of another crane, expecting there would be repairs required, and Galbadia Garden was settled in there while Trabia took the first dock. Balamb docked their main entrance with Trabia, enabling passage between the two Gardens.

Even returned, their business hadn't been finished. Squall, Xu, Cid, Angelica, and Mayor Dobe had spent a good two hours debating what to do with those who had fought with Galbadia, not to mention the Sorceress and Knight closed up in solitary. There had been some discussion over what punishments Seifer would receive for his tenure as Edea's Knight, but Squall had been quite firm in his stance that the ex-Knight had suffered more than enough.

They'd mostly agreed over what to do with the Galbadians – Dobe and Cid both seemed to think they should get a second chance, and they'd managed to argue the rest of them around – but Edea and Rinoa's fates were still up for debate, especially since Rinoa had fallen into a coma. (That had required another long debate, this time with Kadowaki: The doctor wanted Rinoa in the infirmary, where she could keep an eye on her patient, but Squall didn't want her to have any freedom in Garden until they figured out how much of her actions had been because of Ultimecia and how much had been her. Kadowaki had sort of won, in the end; they'd set up a quasi-cell at one end of the infirmary and Rinoa had been placed in there. Squall had then proceeded to lose the argument about setting a guard on her, if only because the entirety of Garden was dead on their feet from the fight.)

Edea was a bit of a special case. Her claim of possession rang true to everyone, especially given her changed actions. Even believing that, there was concern that she could be possessed again, and none of them were certain how to protect against that. They'd spent a good forty-five minutes going back and forth about what _wouldn't_ work, but none of them had any ideas for what _would_ work.

Even after their meeting had been adjourned on that low note, there had been work to do in making certain the Galbadians understood what their second chance meant and figuring out a schedule for the repairs on all three Gardens. Then there was the hassle of seeing to the students and staff they'd left in FH, including Quistis. Squall _still_ wasn't sure what to do with the young woman, and it showed, much to his shame. Angelica had called him on it and had no sympathy for his explanation over why he was having so much trouble deciding on a punishment.

 _"Shove her in solitary for forty-eight hours, then reinstate her as a level one SeeD and make her work her way back up the ranks,"_ Angelica had snapped. _"So maybe her actions saved the life of one man, and maybe you never **ordered** her not to message Rinoa, but she still knew better and her actions put two Gardens and a peaceful city in danger. She's not your foster sister, Commander Leonhart, she's a soldier. Treat her like one."_

Squall had followed Angelica's directions without a word to Quistis, silently berating himself the entire time for letting his emotions get in the way of his job. He'd let a forgotten childhood friendship get in the way of doling out a sufficient punishment and it irritated him. It used to be that only Seifer could make him lose his usual calm, goading him into the most dangerous stunts and training duels, but he was suddenly finding himself fond of Selphie and torn over how to handle Quistis. He'd been honestly worried for Irvine, too, and full of regret for having forgotten him. Even _Zell_ amused him more than irritated him, any more.

 _'And then there's Seifer.'_ Squall leaned forward and rested his head against the edge of the bed his rival lay on, the exhaustion of the day catching up with him. _'I'm beginning to understand what Selphie meant when she said it was a comfort to have a pillow or something,'_ he thought drowsily. _'I spend all fucking day jittery and wanting to just stop by the infirmary, even though I **know** he's fine. I couldn't fucking **sleep** without checking in on you, you bastard.'_

Kadowaki would skin him alive if she caught him in Seifer's room, but there was nothing wrong with resting his eyes for a little bit, right?

-0-

Squall woke the moment someone touched his shoulder. He turned his head and shot a glare at whoever had thought to wake him, only to be met with Kadowaki's disapproving face. _'Crap.'_

"You have your own bed, Squall," Kadowaki pointed out quietly. "You should be _there_. Not sneaking into the infirmary over night."

Squall grunted and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Couldn't sleep," he admitted, knowing better than to try a 'whatever' on the doctor.

"I half expected to find you standing vigil over Rinoa's bed, considering how insistent you were that I place a guard on her," Kadowaki said, rolling her eyes.

Squall shook his head and leaned over to get his boots. "What time is it?"

"Ten 'til eight."

"Fuck." Squall sped up putting his boots on and jumped to his feet, combing a quick hand through his hair. They'd had another meeting planned for eight to discuss, again, what to do with Edea. Cid had promised to talk with his wife before coming to the meeting, so hopefully they'd actually have a proper idea of what they could do with her.

Of course, the meeting was in Mayor Dobe's house, a twenty minute walk through Trabia Garden and down the crane.

As Squall started past Kadowaki's desk, shifting his belts so they didn't hang as awkwardly without Revolver weighing them down, the doctor grabbed his arm and placed a pastry in his hand. "Eat that on your way."

"Thanks," Squall said sincerely before hurrying from the infirmary. He wasn't quite desperate enough to run, but he moved much faster than he might have otherwise. He silently blessed the time he'd spent yesterday in Trabia, since he'd learned a short cut from the main entrance to their second floor deck.

He ran into Angelica on the crane and slowed to a walk to keep pace with her as he finished off the pastry. "You look like you haven't slept," the Headmistress commented as she finished pinning her hair back, which Squall was coming to recognise as a sign that she was irritated by something.

"I slept," Squall muttered.

"Sure you did."

Squall ran a hand through his hair, wishing he'd had time for a shower. "You look like you spent the morning threatening people."

Angelica shot him an over-bright smile. "How _ever_ did you guess that one?"

Squall snorted. Like he hadn't seen the group of chastised students set to wiping down the main hall.

The Headmistress sighed and shook her head. "Some of my students decided to have an all-night party in FH. Some things were said and a brawl happened."

"At least it didn't happen _before_ Dobe decided we weren't a pack of murderers that just needed a good bedtime story and more love from our parents."

Angelica laughed. "This is true. He was more irritated than furious, but I doubt either of us appreciated the four am wake-up call."

"Cid should cheer him up."

"I suppose _someone_ has to appreciate Cid's sense of humour..." Angelica muttered as she pushed open the door of Dobe's house.

"Good _morning_!" Dobe called, eyes bright. Cid was grinning next to him and Xu had a 'what took you so long?' look on her face.

"Sorry we're late," Angelica offered as both she and Squall took seats on the floor. "Cid, how did your talk with Edea go?"

Cid sighed, his expression falling. "She's pretty certain that there's no way to keep Ultimecia from possessing her again while she lives, and dying means her powers will be passed on to someone else. Esthar supposedly has the technology to seal a Sorceress, but it sounds about as final as killing her, just without the chance of her passing on her powers."

"So it's a lose, lose situation," Angelica murmured.

"If it weren't for Ultimecia, Matron would hardly be a threat," Squall commented quietly. "There's got to be a way to beat her."

"Good luck with that one," Angelica replied drily.

"Even if we could, somehow, reach into the future and get rid of this Sorceress, what's to keep her past self from possessing Edea and causing trouble then? There's no way we can know which version of this Sorceress we're aiming for." Cid shook his head. "There are too many chances for failure."

Squall shrugged his understanding, but he kept the idea in the back of his mind, to turn it over again later. Even with Edea sealed, there were other Sorceresses that Ultimecia could possess; they would have to deal with her eventually.

"So Sorceress Edea wishes to go to Esthar?" Dobe enquired. "It's not an easy journey."

Cid nodded. "I'm aware. She's hoping to hire SeeD out for the job." He looked over at Squall.

Squall blinked. "Did she have someone in particular in mind?"

"I believe she wanted you, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine."

Squall snorted. "Irvine can go or not as he pleases, as he's not SeeD. I can spare Selphie and Zell, no question, but I'm not letting Quistis go on a mission like that until she proves she's not going to bring another Sorceress down on our heads."

"Then go with and keep an eye on her," Cid suggested cheerfully, correctly reading Squall's own refusal to go.

Squall stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Maybe you missed the memo," he said drily, "but I'm the SeeD Commander. You know, the one who sits behind a table and decides which SeeDs to send on what mission, or stands on the bridge and shouts commands in battle. I don't go on pleasant trips to inclusive countries just to watch a Sorceress be willingly sealed."

Xu let out a snort and covered her smile with one hand. Angelica just shot the Commander an approving smile.

Cid blinked a few times. "It's SeeD's duty to take care of any threats posed by Sorceresses," he argued.

"And so we will," Squall replied evenly. "Selphie and Zell can go with Matron to have her sealed and I'll approve it from behind my table. Threat taken care of."

"Cid," Xu said, laughter in her voice, "you're the one who made him Commander. You _knew_ he'd be a hard-ass about his job."

"But... Edea wants you there..."

Squall rubbed at the scar between his eyes, irritated. "What she does or doesn't want doesn't change the fact that we have three Gardens in dock for repairs. It doesn't change that Galbadia Garden's chain of command has been torn all to shreds and needs to be built back up from nothing. There's also a Sorceress Knight in a coma in Balamb Garden's infirmary who's a potential threat, and I don't have the personnel to keep a proper eye on her." He gave the Headmaster a hard look. " _I can't leave._ "

"I can spare you someone to watch the Knight," Angelica offered.

Squall shook his head. "Doctor Kadowaki won't let me post anyone who took part in the battle until tomorrow morning at the earliest. She's of the opinion that Rinoa's no threat for the moment, anyway. But thank you."

"What about after the repairs are finished?" Cid tried. "The Galbadia Garden problem should be sorted by then, so there wouldn't be anything–"

"What part of 'I can't leave' didn't you understand?" Squall replied, doing everything possible to keep his voice steady. "Once Garden is mobile again, we should head out to clean up the mess Ultimecia left behind, such as the soldiers in Balamb Town. I need to start sending SeeDs out on missions again so we have money to buy necessities. I can't just up and _leave_ for however many days."

"I can handle the missions–"

"That's not the point," Angelica cut in before Squall actually lost his temper. "He has as much a responsibility to SeeD as you or I have to our Gardens. Just as you and I would never vanish for a week to go on a trip, Squall can't. Do all of us a favour and drop the matter."

Cid sighed and nodded. "Very well."

"I'll let Selphie, Zell, and Irvine know that Matron wishes for them to travel to Esthar with her," Squall offered.

"Just... go visit her before she leaves?" Cid requested.

Squall nodded and switched his mental focus to more important matters. "Galbadia Garden."

The other four sighed, Dobe louder than the others, but he'd agreed to sit in on all their meetings as an outsider without any preconceptions about anyone they might place in charge of the red Garden.

-0-

"Cid told me to come see you," Squall said as he stepped into Edea's cell. The door clanged shut behind him and the SeeD out in the hall returned to his position by the stairs, where he wouldn't overhear their conversation, but he would hear any shouts.

Edea motioned for Squall to sit next to her on the bed, which he did. She looked much more natural without the make-up, more like the woman he remembered in his hazy memories. "Do you know why I founded SeeD?" she asked.

Squall shrugged. "To deal with the threat of Sorceresses."

Edea smiled and shook her head. "Maybe... oh, thirteen years ago, a young man visited me. He'd come from quite the battle with a Sorceress, who followed him and passed her powers on to me. That young man told me he was a SeeD from Balamb Garden, and that I would be the one to found SeeD and Garden to defeat that Sorceress."

Squall frowned. "Time travel? That Sorceress, it was Ultimecia?"

"I believe so," Edea agreed.

"So she _will_ be defeated in the future."

"She will be defeated by _your_ hand, Squall," Edea replied gently.

Squall blinked at her a few times, then sighed. "That young man was me, then."

"It was." Edea reached out and smoothed down some of the fluff on Squall's jacket. "Looking just as you do now." She smiled at him fondly. "Do you understand why I want you with me when I leave for Esthar? If there's a chance that Ultimecia might be defeated en route, you need to be there."

Squall shook his head. "Matron, I can't just _leave_ –"

"The only thing keeping you here is your own sense of duty," Edea murmured, tucking some hair behind his ear. "You should get a haircut."

Squall captured her hand between both of his, eyes serious. "My sense of duty makes me a good Commander," he insisted quietly, heart in his throat. "You're asking me to choose between the chance that we _might_ have a shot at Ultimecia, and the people here who need me _now_. I can't make a choice like that, not with so much uncertainty."

Edea bowed her head. "I understand," she whispered.

Squall sighed and closed his eyes. "Selphie, Irvine, and Zell have all agreed to go with you the entire way. They're ready to leave whenever you are."

Edea nodded. "We can leave at dawn," she decided.

Squall squeezed her hand, then stood. "Goodbye, Matron," he offered before letting out a sharp whistle for the SeeD to come let him out.

Edea smiled up at him. "Goodbye, Squall. I'm proud of you."

Squall gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement, stepping from the cell.

He was about halfway down the hall when Edea called, "Squall?"

He blinked, then turned and slid the small window of her cell open. "Yes?"

Edea smiled up at him, tears shining in the overhead light. "Tell Seifer I'm sorry?"

"I will," he promised, then slid the window closed again. He returned the salute of the SeeD as he passed the man, then started up the steps, running through his mental list of things he needed to do. _'I need to make sure the others know they're to leave at dawn and make sure the morning guard in the cells knows it's okay to let her out. I need to find a guard to watch over Rinoa starting tomorrow morning.'_

Squall sighed to himself and stepped onto the lift, heading for the third floor. _'Should see about getting proper offices for both Cid and myself. We can't keep using the meeting room, especially not when he has staff meetings that need that room.'_ Xu, he knew, had been working out of her dorm room. He might have done the same thing, but it was easier for members of Trabia or Galbadia to find him on the third floor. And Selphie had sort of taken over his room. _'It'll be strange with Selphie gone for the time it takes them to get to and from Esthar. Nice to have my bed back, but strange.'_

Cid glanced up when Squall entered the meeting room and offered him a tired smile. "One of the FH technicians dropped off some mail for us. Someone got word that Garden is docked here."

Squall nodded and started looking through his pile as he sat. There were a number of requests for SeeD, as well as a magazine for him, which he set off to the side. "Matron, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine will be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn, if you wanted to see them off," he offered.

Cid frowned. "You're not going?"

Squall sighed. "No. And, yes, she told me about the future me being the reason she founded Garden. I can't go."

"But–"

"Cid, if you don't drop this, I'll take my work to my room."

Cid snapped his mouth shut. He had no interest in receiving and directing people looking for the Commander.

Speaking of, the door was pushed open and a SeeD poked her head in. "Commander, could I steal a moment of your time?"

Squall nodded and stood. "In the hallway," he requested. "The Headmaster is distracted easily enough as it is."

Cid snorted and shot the young woman in the door a wink, making her grin before Squall waved her out.

-0-

"Squally," Selphie whispered, shaking his shoulder a bit.

Bleary grey-blue eyes glared up at her. "I just got to sleep," he muttered.

Selphie smiled. "That's what you get for sleeping in an infirmary chair, silly." She glanced down at Seifer's unconscious form – Kadowaki had put him under a magical coma to keep him from running out of bed before he was fully healed, something which he was well known for. "He'll be okay," she offered gently.

"I know that." Squall groaned quietly as he stretched, back popping. "Was there a reason you woke me?"

Selphie shrugged. "We're heading out shortly and I wanted to say goodbye," she admitted. "And maybe wake you before Kadowaki gets to you again." Her eyes sparkled, having heard through the grapevine that the good doctor spent most of yesterday complaining about the Commander sleeping in the infirmary instead of his own damn room like a normal person.

Squall snorted. "Whatever."

Selphie rolled her eyes and leaned down to hug him. "Never change, Squally. And get some real sleep in your _room_."

Squall waved a hand at her. "Get going. I'll try and keep Garden in dock until you return, but no promises if you take particularly long."

Selphie shot him a bright smile, then skipped from the room, waving over her shoulder.

Squall sighed and ran a hand down his face. He was still tired, but if Edea's group was heading out soon, there wasn't time for him to get any real sleep before he had to be upstairs for the SeeD mission briefs. There was time for a shower and something to eat, but no further sleep. "Being Commander is nothing but a hassle," he informed Seifer.

Expectedly, there was no response.

Squall snorted at himself and pulled his boots on before slipping from the infirmary before Kadowaki could catch him.

-0-

Squall pulled the door open and considered the huddled form on the bed in the cell. "Come on, up."

Quistis looked up at him with exhausted eyes. "I'm out?"

"Yes." Squall motioned her forward.

Quistis uncurled from the bed and groaned as her body protested the motion. Unwilling to test Squall's patience, she fought past her body's complaints and hurried out of the cell, asking, "What are you going to do with me now?" She'd spent the past two days wondering just that, actually. She hoped Squall would reinstate her, but the reality was that she'd screwed up pretty badly and should probably be left to fend for herself as a civilian.

Squall led the way over to a small locker and reached inside. He pulled out Quistis' whip, which he then handed over, much to her surprise and happiness. "You're still a SeeD," he allowed, "but you're level one and you won't be leaving Garden to go on any missions until you've shown me I can trust you again. You do _not_ have permission to go into FH, but you can travel across to Trabia Garden."

Quistis nodded her understanding. "How am I supposed to prove you can trust me?" she wondered, holding her whip against her chest. She didn't like having Squall disappointed in her, especially considering their shared history. And wasn't it ironic how the instructor doling out too much praise was suddenly the one looking for it from her former student?

Squall shrugged. "How do you earn anyone's trust? Behave yourself and utilise your common sense." He turned towards the stairs. "Is that all?"

"Uhm, is Rinoa...?"

"She's in a coma in the infirmary," Squall said. " _Yes_ , you may visit her, at Doctor Kadowaki's discretion." He glanced towards his watch. "It's dinner time. Go get something to eat."

Quistis followed him up the stairs and through the main floor, watching him move with a faint frown. It took her a moment to realise what was missing, then blurted out, "Where's Revolver?" When he looked back at her, eyebrow raised, she flushed, realising how inappropriate that question was.

"In its case, in my room," Squall allowed before starting up the steps to the lift.

"You're not eating?" Quistis wondered.

Squall sighed and looked back down at her. "I don't have time. Go eat, Quistis," he ordered before continuing his way up to the lift.

Quistis stared after him, chewing over her lower lip and worrying about how tired he looked. He looked like he wasn't getting any sleep, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was at all her fault. She took a moment to attach Slaying Tail to her belt, then turned towards the cafeteria, determined to ask around and find out what she'd missed over the past couple days.

Assuming anyone would talk to her.

-0-

Kadowaki sighed and shook her head at the brunet curled up in the uncomfortable chair at Seifer's bedside. She wasn't surprised to find the Commander sleeping in the infirmary again, just resigned. She was almost tempted to wake Seifer from the magical coma and damn the consequences so Squall would sleep in his own room, but she should only need to keep him under for another day and a half.

She glanced at her watch and checked the time against the schedule she'd asked Cid for yesterday of Squall's morning meetings. "Squall," she called.

The body in the chair jerked and a sleepy head popped up from the arms it had been resting on. A grimace crossed his face when he caught sight of her. "Doctor," he offered neutrally. As if he hadn't just been caught sleeping next to his rival's bed for the fifth morning in a row.

Kadowaki sighed. "Your first meeting is in half an hour," she informed him before turning and returning to her desk.

"Huh?" Squall checked his watch, then sighed and quickly pulled his boots on. "How'd you know that?" he asked, exiting the room.

"I asked Cid for your schedule. Here." She pushed a disposable plate of pastries and fresh fruit towards the edge of her desk.

Squall frowned at the food. "I'm not hungry."

Kadowaki narrowed her eyes. "Either you eat this now, or I declare you unfit for duty and you eat it while trapped in bed."

Squall sighed and picked up the plate to start on the food. "Whatever," he muttered, turning towards the door.

"I _will_ find out if you don't finish that plate, Squall Leonhart!" Kadowaki shouted after him.

Squall didn't doubt that for one minute, so he resigned himself to finishing the plate in spite of the way his stomach churned at the thought of food, especially food as high in sugar as what Kadowaki had given him. _'Why couldn't it have been a couple pieces of toast, anyway?'_ he complained to himself, nodding politely when a couple cadets stopped to salute him. _'I can stomach toast. Maybe.'_

Squall knew he should probably slow down, considering his recent bouts of nausea – they'd started two days ago, a few hours before he'd let Quistis out of solitary, and he'd thought that had been the cause of it, but the nausea hadn't stopped – but he had too much to do, especially since another dream of Laguna had caught him yesterday. Once people realised Garden was docked at FH, the SeeD requests had come hot and heavy, especially after Ultimecia's brief reign made a mess of Galbadia. Two teams of three SeeDs each had been sent to clear out Balamb Town, and another four were cleaning up a couple messes Ultimecia had left for them in Trabia. Hyne knew how many teams were already in Galbadia, or how many more would be needed.

On the other hand, a couple of overly-helpful cadets had cleaned out one of the dusty offices on the third floor for him. Squall suspected Quistis had been the one to talk the group of teens into doing it for him, but he hadn't found the time or the energy to make inquiries along that vein. Honestly, he was just glad to have his own space away from Cid's tendency to hum while he worked.

The repairs to Trabia Garden would be finished some time that afternoon, and Galbadia Garden's repairs should be done tomorrow. The repairs to Balamb Garden's structure had already been completed, as had the repairs to the quad stage – a gift from Squall to Selphie which had about half of Garden waggling their eyebrows in a knowing fashion. Galbadia Garden, led by the newly-appointed Headmistress Xu, would leave as soon as their repairs were done, but Angelica had every intention in hanging around FH with Balamb until the team that had gone with Edea returned. Squall hadn't cared enough to ask the Trabia Headmistress why she was staying, but he had an idea it had something to do with Selphie. Either way, he didn't mind, and it was nice to have some other Garden people around while stuck at FH.

Squall finished the last pastry as he entered his office and dropped the paper plate into the bin next to his desk, then dropped into his chair and pulled over some papers. He had ten minutes before his first meeting; plenty of time to be productive.

-0-

Ultimecia huffed a bit as the boy she had her eyes on – and magic hooks into, for that matter – walked past the room with her current host in it without a glance yet _again_. From her host's memories, she would have thought that the pretty-boy SeeD would have been by her bedside from day one, making it extremely easy to make him do her bidding with her magic seeping into him.

But no. The little boy spent all his time worrying over her ex – and _not_ dead, regrettably – Knight. She'd been forced to try petty tricks with magic to get him to come to her, but those weren't working, either. He should be feeling a terrible urge to come to her host's prone form, but still he resisted. It was driving her completely _mad_.

If only the handsome blond boy hadn't slipped her grasp. He'd been the perfect puppet, willing to do absolutely _anything_ to fulfil his dream and win her approval, even destroy his home. And then, for no clear reason, he suddenly turned traitor. He'd let those blasted SeeDs escape and destroyed her missile base. He'd even been the one to let their mole into the building before they took off, _knowing_ that the girl with him was friends with those SeeDs. He should be _dead_ , but he'd survived because of some pretty little SeeD with a matching scar.

Oh, she'd learned a great deal about the pretty-boy SeeD, between her current hosts' memories and her ex-Knight. The blond had been absolutely enthralled by the SeeD, talking about him and their spars _constantly_. Even while she was torturing him, he'd held firm against her, trusting in the pretty little SeeD to swoop in and put an end to her. Her current host was so very torn about him, crushing on him for his looks, but hating him for his personality and lack of emotion.

Ultimecia had other options, of course. She didn't _need_ the pretty-boy. There was a blonde girl who had taken to visiting and mindlessly speaking to her host's lifeless body who would do, and the guards who had been sent to watch the unconscious Knight-turned-Sorceress didn't change too often, giving her plenty of time to sink her hooks into them and send them to do her bidding. There was even the doctor, if she was feeling desperate.

But she wanted that _SeeD_. The one her ex-Knight was so very enamoured with. She wanted to use his pretty self to commit disgusting acts and break him, for breaking him would surely break her ex-Knight. And that little _traitor_ deserved to be completely destroyed. She wanted him to _suffer_ for his every act against her. She wanted him broken and bleeding, preferably by the hand of his _precious_ rival. She _needed_ that boy.

The blonde girl settled into the chair next to her host's body, smiling like the pitiful creature she was. "Hi, Rinoa," she murmured. "It's me, Quistis, again. I hope you don't mind me always coming to visit but, well... There aren't a lot of people willing to talk to me right now. I told you that already though, right?" She sighed and twisted her hands in her lap. "I wish you weren't in a coma, Rinoa. I wish I could apologise for the things I said to you that night, before we tried assassinating Edea. I wish I could prove to Squall that you're safe, so you don't have to be under guard like a common criminal.

"Squall seems to think you were Edea's Knight, actually." She gave a strained laugh. "Everyone seems to believe him, too, even though he has no proof. I have _proof_ that Seifer was her Knight – probably still is, knowing him – but Squall has everyone believing Seifer is innocent. That boy hasn't been innocent for a day in his life. Even when we were kids, he was a jerk! Now Squall's got everyone believing him to be some sort of martyr or whatever, having stood strong even though Edea was cruel to him. Whatever."

The girl sighed and started talking about something that had happened the evening before in the cafeteria, but Ultimecia had already lost interest. _'So. The pretty SeeD has everyone believing the traitor is a **good boy**. Does he not know that the boy was so very willing to do my bidding? He was praktikally **jumping** at the chance to torture him in the prison. Has he forgotten his own suffering already? Fool boy.'_

Ultimecia returned her attention to the prattling blonde next to the bed and smoothly slipped her magic under the girl's skin. _'No matter. I kan destroy the pretty SeeD without owning him. I will spread the truth, through this child. And then you, my toy, will kall down Adel for me to use. I tire of this weak body. Yes... Go forth and tell them the truth of that nasty traitor. Tell everyone of his kruelty. Destroy their image of him before he even wakes...'_

Quistis' blue eyes dimmed as the Sorceress' magic seeped under her skin and filled her, taking all control from her without giving her a moment to fight back. _'No! What–?'_ But then even her tiny voice was silenced and her body left the infirmary to spread the story of Squall's torture. The one secret he'd never intended to share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muwahahahah!! XD  
> Ultimecia's kinda a crazy bitch. I think I like writing her.


	7. Sins of Our Tongue

Seifer woke slowly. He was, surprisingly, free of pain. There also wasn't anyone smacking him awake or the sounds of Edea's twisting laughing. _'Ultimecia,'_ he reminded himself. She'd always insisted he call her that while it was just them. Didn't know why. Didn't much care, either.

 _'I wonder where Squall is now...'_ he mused, mind changing over to his favourite topic: Wondering about Squall, believing the younger teen would eventually catch up and kill Edea–

_Coldly determined grey-blue eyes...the cracking of glass...ice on steel..._

Seifer's eyes snapped opened and he stared up at the familiar ceiling of Balamb Garden's infirmary, disbelief and relief warring in his chest. _'Squall saved me...'_

The main infirmary door slid opened and a quiet voice asked, "Doctor Kadowaki?"

"What can I do for you?" the good doctor asked and her voice sent fond relief shooting through Seifer; if the ceiling hadn't assured him he was safe, her voice would have.

"Uhm, I was told I could find the Commander here... Is...is he...okay?"

"He's not a patient, if that's what you're asking," Kadowaki replied with amused exasperation. "Is it vital that he come now, or can it wait another hour or two?"

"The Esthar party is back, and they have the Sorceress with them."

Kadowaki sighed and her chair creaked as she stood. "I see. One moment." Her light steps approached Seifer's room and the blond glanced around the room, trying to spot this mysterious 'Commander' that would visit him.

 _'Squall?'_ he wondered, catching sight of the other gunblader curled uncomfortably in the only chair in the room. _'Why is he here?'_

"Squa–" Kadowaki started before her eyes caught open green. "Seifer!"

The body in the chair jerked and Squall's head snapped up. He stared back at Seifer for a moment, relief flashing in tired eyes before he masked it. "You're awake," he murmured, voice rough from sleep.

"You're not supposed to wake up until this evening," Kadowaki complained, hurrying forward and touching Seifer's cheek. "How do you feel? Any pain?"

Seifer blinked up at her and shook his head. "Ah–" he croaked, only to frown when he realised his throat was too dry for human sounds.

"I'll be right back," Kadowaki bustled, heading through the small doorway. "And _don't get out of that bed_."

Seifer felt fondness for the doctor warm his heart again and he looked back over at Squall with a smile.

Squall snorted. "You've been here for a week," he supplied to the unasked question. "Kadowaki decided to keep you in a coma so you didn't attempt one of your infamous escape attempts before all your wounds healed."

Seifer blinked at that, then peeked down his shirt. Healthy pink skin had grown over the large patch of burns on his left side and all of the nasty little cuts he'd received that had been left to fester had healed over. Even the wounds from the ice pikes Ultimecia so favoured had been healed, though they were unnaturally pale, compared to the rest of his skin.

Kadowaki bustled back in, the probable owner of the uncertain voice from before following with careful steps. "Slowly," Kadowaki ordered as she handed a cup with a straw over to Seifer.

Seifer obediently took a slow sip, smirking around the straw at her.

"C-Commander?" the uncertain girl in the doorway asked.

Squall's head jerked around. "Yes?"

Seifer pulled his mouth away from the straw before he choked: _Squall_ was the Commander? Commander of _what_?

"The Esthar party is back, and they have the Sorceress."

Squall's eyes hardened and he unfolded his legs from under him, one hand reaching for his boots. "Are they in Garden yet?" he asked in an authoritative voice that Seifer didn't recognise.

"No, sir. One of the FH boys spotted them a bit out and sent warning. They should be here in another ten minutes."

Squall nodded. "Thank you, Cadet. Has Cid been warned?"

"Not yet, sir."

"Please let him know."

"Yes, sir." The girl saluted, then hurried out.

"Commander?" Seifer croaked as Squall stood.

"I leave him in your capable hands," Squall offered Kadowaki as he started out.

"There's a plate of toast on my desk!" Kadowaki called after him.

"Whatever," Squall called back, but his footsteps changed course just enough to pass within grabbing range of the doctor's desk before leaving out the main entrance.

"Commander?" Seifer croaked to Kadowaki.

The doctor sighed and dropped into the chair Squall had just vacated. "A lot has happened," she offered. "Sip your water and I'll tell you what I can..."

-0-

"Welcome back," Cid said as the group stepped down from the crane onto the second floor deck, Zell helping Edea down. Squall stood next to the Headmaster with sharp eyes and two armed SeeDs stood behind the two leaders, only necessary because Squall no longer carried Revolver around. He'd doubted there would be any trouble that couldn't be handled with his knives, but he also knew that overestimating his skills could very well get him killed, especially after a week of sitting behind a paper-covered desk and no training.

"I'm no longer a Sorceress," Edea explained, getting right to the heart of the matter.

"No longer a Sorceress?" Squall asked, frowning. "How would that work? Once a Sorceress, always a Sorceress until death."

"Odine believes Ultimecia may have forced the magic from Matron to have better control over who received it," Selphie explained, expression troubled. "There were only three other women in that room, and I already know I didn't get them. So that leaves Angelica and–"

" _Fuck_ ," Squall swore before turning and hurrying from the deck. _'Rinoa. My nausea's always been the worst in the mornings, just after leaving the infirmary. I didn't even think about it. And Seifer's in–'_ Squall swallowed. _'She hasn't done anything to him yet, and he's been defenceless. She wouldn't do anything now that he's awake.'_

"Squall! Wait!" Selphie shouted as he stepped into the lift. She was pelting down the hallway, Irvine and Zell following at a slightly more reasonable pace. Squall held the door just so he wouldn't have to worry about her running head-long into it after it had closed.

"What's the hurry?" Irvine asked as they all piled in.

"Rinoa's in the infirmary," Squall reported tightly as he ran his emergency pass to speed the lift up. "Every time I've been in there since you three left, I've felt sick. I didn't even think about it."

"You sure it's her?" Zell asked uncertainly.

"Yes." Squall stepped quickly from the lift as soon as the doors opened, breezing past saluting cadets and SeeDs without seeing them.

"Seifer's in there, too," Selphie suggested as the three hurried after the Commander. "If Ultimecia really jumped into Rinoa, she's had unfettered access to him for a week."

"Other than the times Squall's been sleeping at his bedside," Irvine muttered, still amused to have found out that the stoic Commander had been sitting vigil over the ex-Knight's bedside whenever he wasn't in meetings. Selphie had mentioned it to them on their way to Esthar and Edea had been delighted to hear that the two rivals were so close.

Squall practically slammed into the infirmary, voice sharp as he ordered the guard, "We're moving Miss Heartilly to solitary. If you would be so kind as to–"

The sound of a gun firing ripped through the air and it was only Squall's battle-trained reflexes that saved him from a shot to the head. Instead, the bullet grazed the side of his head and nicked the top of his left ear.

" _Squall!_ " Selphie shouted, grabbing his arm even as Zell dashed past the Commander and laid the guard out flat with a hard left hook to the jaw.

"What is going on out here?" Kadowaki demanded, stepping out of Seifer's room with a hard look.

"Zell, stop," Squall ordered before the blond SeeD could pummel the guard to death. "He's being controlled by Ultimecia. Get Rinoa down to solitary. _Now_. Selphie, I'm fine," he added as the small SeeD brushed his hair gently out of the way of the bullet wound, trying to get a good look at the damage.

Zell clenched his fists, furious, but stalked into Rinoa's room, slung the inert form roughly over one shoulder, and started back towards the door out.

"Squall!" Selphie called again when the Commander stumbled to one side, out of the path of the possessed Sorceress as her magic clawed at his skin, making his stomach jump into his throat.

Squall looked up at Rinoa in time to see her eyes open and staring at him, glowing golden. His stomach heaved again and he realised he couldn't break her gaze.

Then a large hand fell over his eyes and Seifer rasped, "Hit her with a Sleep spell, Kinneas."

The tingle of para-magic touched the air and the oppressing sense of Sorceress magic let up, leaving Squall shaking and sick. He couldn't help but relax back when Seifer's other arm wrapped around his abdomen in a silent offer of support.

"Squall, are you okay?" Selphie whispered after the infirmary door had slid shut behind Zell and Irvine.

Squall took a deep breath and nodded, standing straight. "I'm fine."

Seifer's arm fell reluctantly from around Squall and the hand over his eyes slipped around to pull the hair away from where the bullet had hit. "You're a liar," Seifer whispered, carefully pulling some blood-coated hair out of the graze. "And your reflexes have gone to shit while I was gone."

"Seifer, back in bed," Kadowaki snapped as she pulled some cotton pads and potion from a cupboard. "Squall, sit somewhere so I can look at that."

"It's fi–"

"I think _I'll_ be the judge of that," the doctor declared. "Seifer, _bed_."

Squall batted the hands away from his wound, then turned and half pushed, half followed Seifer back into the ex-Knight's room. Seifer climbed obediently back onto the bed while Squall dropped into the chair and suffered Kadowaki's gentle prodding.

Selphie leaned on the end of Seifer's bed. "It's good to see you up," she offered. "We were all _really_ worried."

"You were worried about _me_?" Seifer asked, eyes wide with mock surprise. His voice was rough from disuse, but sounded stronger with every word. "Now, why would a couple of unscrupulous SeeDs worry about a naughty Sorceress' Knight like me?"

" _Ex_ -Sorceress' Knight," Squall insisted.

Selphie smiled. "Of _course_ we'd be worried about you! You were a _mess_ when we found you, and Squall was so worried he's been sleeping–"

" _Selphie_ ," Squall growled.

"Squally," Selphie chirped.

"Don't worry, Leonhart, I already knew you were a big softie inside," Seifer teased, green eyes glinting with pleasure at having the _chance_ to tease the stoic teen once again. He sobered quickly, however. "Kadowaki gave me the abridged version; Ultimecia is possessing Rinoa?"

"Apparently," Squall agreed drily as Kadowaki leaned back, wounds healed.

"Matron lost her Sorceress powers during the battle," Selphie explained. "I hadn't received them and Squall said he's felt sick every time he's been in the infirmary, where Rinoa was being kept."

"What?" Kadowaki grabbed the Commander's chin in an iron grip and forced him to look up at her. "If you're feeling sick, you're supposed to _tell me_."

"And be forced into a bed?" Squall snapped. "I have too much work–"

"You'd get more work done if you were in top form, you idiot child!"

"Are we interrupting something?" Irvine wondered with a grin as he and Zell joined the crowd in Seifer's room. He tipped his hat to the ex-Knight, offering, "Good to see you up, Seifer."

"Still think you're some sort of bull-wrangling cowboy?" Seifer shot back with a smirk. "Tut, tut, Kinneas." His eyes darted to the blond standing at the cowboy's shoulder while Irvine laughed. "Chicken-wuss! I've missed your chocobo's ass hairstyle!"

"Oh, fuck you," Zell replied heatedly.

"Doctor K's just telling Squally off for putting his paperwork above his health," Selphie said to Irvine's question.

Squall turned sharp eyes to the two men in front of the door. "Would Esthar be able to seal her?" he demanded in what Seifer had mentally dubbed his 'Commander Voice'.

"Yeah." Zell nodded. "They asked us to find the Sorceress and drag her in, actually." He snorted. "They _really_ don't like the idea of another Sorceress running around."

Squall nodded. "I'm sorry to ask you three back out again after just getting home, but would you be willing to take Rinoa to Esthar?"

The three teens traded looks which sent warning bells ringing in Squall's head. "Well, the thing is," Irvine started very carefully, "it's not really an easy trip, and three of us with an unwilling Sorceress just isn't going to cut it–"

Squall narrowed his eyes. "I can send a couple more SeeDs with you."

"Mediocre SeeDs?" Irvine returned. "No, no. Against a Sorceress like Ultimecia, we're going to need the _best_."

"Our six best SeeDs are in Galbadia right–"

"I'm talking about the one who's been warming a chair," Irvine interrupted.

Squall's jaw clenched. "I have too much _work_ –"

"Squally, _listen_ ," Selphie pleaded quietly and the Commander's mouth snapped shut. The young woman tugged at the bottom of her dress in a nervous gesture before offering, "This Sorceress is from the future, right? So she's probably seen most of SeeD's best tricks multiple times over. Moreover, she's probably got a pretty good idea of how _we_ work, after possessing both Matron and Rinoa and fighting us twice and then whatever she got from Seifer." The blond ex-Knight looked away. "We need to be able to out-think her, and you're the best at thinking on your feet."

"I want to take Seifer, too, if Doctor Kadowaki will release him," Irvine added.

"Huh?" Seifer looked up at the cowboy, obviously confused.

Irvine shot him a tight smile. "You _know_ this Sorceress. You've worked with her and watched her take over Galbadia Garden. If _anyone_ can make a guess at what she might try, it'll be you."

Seifer shook away memories of being pinned to a wall with ice pikes. "Don't go expecting too much of me, Kinneas."

Kadowaki sighed. "Seifer needs another couple days of bed rest before you take him off to Esthar." Then she pinned a scowling Squall with a sharp look. "And _you_ , Commander Leonhart, need a proper night's rest in a proper bed. Not in a chair."

"Or on the floor!" Selphie added with a bright smile for the dark look Squall sent her.

"Why were you sleeping on the floor?" Zell asked, blinking in surprise.

"I stole his bed."

Zell gave the small SeeD a disbelieving look. "Why were you in Squall's bed?"

"Because it smells like him," Selphie replied matter-of-factly.

"You and the messenger girl?" Seifer asked Squall. "Seriously?"

"And I wonder why people think we're dating," Squall muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "Selphie, censor yourself. Please."

Selphie laughed with a nervous smile. "Oops?"

Squall sighed and shook his head. "Doctor Kadowaki, has anyone other than the guards I set visited Rinoa? Specifically anyone who's been in here more than once."

Kadowaki frowned in thought. "I've had a couple of cadets in here more than once, but none of them got particularly close to her. You and Seifer have been the only regulars in here... Wait! Quistis was in here a number of times, talking to her."

Squall's head shot up and he looked at the group in the doorway. "She should be in Garden somewhere," he told them. "Zell, go find her for me."

Zell saluted. "You got it, Squall."

"Irvine," Squall continued as the blond fighter left, "find Cid and Matron and let them know about Rinoa and our intention to leave for Esthar with her in four days. Also, please tell Cid I need to see him in my office in three hours."

"Consider it done," Irvine agreed. He tipped his hat at them all before turning to leave.

"Four days?" Seifer wondered before Squall could give any further instructions.

"Two days for you to be stuck in a bed, two days for you to get some training in," Squall reported, not looking away from Selphie. "Go report to Angelica about everything that's happened so far, assuming she hasn't hunted Cid down and beat it out of him already."

Selphie grinned fondly at the thought of her old Headmistress. "Sure thing." She smiled at Seifer. "See you around, Seify."

" 'Seify'?" Seifer repeated, torn between amusement and disbelief. "Seriously?"

Selphie stuck her tongue out at him playfully, then danced from the room.

Squall turned to Doctor Kadowaki. "Can you see to the guard that's out there right now?"

"Certainly. I don't know what I can do for him if he's still being controlled by the Sorceress..."

"We can throw him in solitary if it comes to it, but I'm hoping the magic lock will sever her ties to anyone she's got her magic into."

"It might not," Seifer murmured as Kadowaki started out. "It depends on how long she's been working on them and how badly she wanted to keep them. The guards should be fine, even if they've been near her for a week, unless she really wanted one of them. You said you've been feeling sick around her?"

Squall nodded. "For approximately four days."

Seifer raised an impressed eyebrow. "How sick? Like, just a mild headache, or...?"

Squall pressed his lips together tightly, but allowed, "To my stomach. I've thrown up five times."

"Squall!" Kadowaki shouted in irritation, proving she was still listening even though she'd left the room.

Seifer shook his head, even more impressed. "It's a reaction to refusing her magic. I threw up twice, after the missile base. She got tired of trying to win me back after a day, though. Thinking about disobeying her would give me a headache, but actually _fighting_ her made me physically ill."

Squall accepted that explanation with some relief – it hadn't been a sign of his own weakness, then – but he still hated that he'd been sick at all. "You think she's been so focussed on me that she wouldn't have spent much time getting control of anyone else?"

"Basically. It would be hard to control anyone in Garden, anyway, unless they already had some sympathy for Ultimecia or Rinoa. The only people with even a passing familiarity with Rinoa were either unconscious–" Seifer raised his own hand with a faint smile, "–already fighting her off, or out of her reach."

Squall frowned. "Except for Quistis. Do you know how long it would take for her to gain control of Quistis?"

Seifer shook his head. "Depends on what their relationship was, how interested in using her Ultimecia was, how much magic she was putting towards trying to control someone else, how defensive against Sorceress magic Quistis was..." He shrugged. "Anywhere from a week to a couple hours. I know it took her almost three days to win Rinoa over, and that was with all of her attention turned on someone unwilling. With her so focussed on you, everyone else should be okay."

Squall grunted and stood. "Now all I have to figure out is _why_ she was so focussed on me."

"Uhm, SeeD Commander?" Seifer commented, rolling his eyes. "About three quarters of Garden has been crushing on you since you were twelve, Squally, and you are _so_ Rinoa's type."

"What does that have anything to do with it?"

Seifer dropped his face into his hands in a classic Squall gesture. "Oh, hit puberty already, would you? You're embarrassing me."

Squall snorted and stepped from the room to check on Kadowaki and the downed guard. "So?"

Kadowaki sighed. "I don't know how I'd even _check_ for Sorceress control, but I healed his jaw."

Squall nodded. "Strap him to the bed and leave him until he wakes on his own. I'll have someone check in with the other two guards and see how they are, but there's a chance that he's still being controlled even if they aren't. Send a runner to let me know how he is when he wakes up."

"Certainly. You'll be in your office?"

"Yes." He started for the door out.

"Squall," Kadowaki called, a note of warning in her tone. When the Commander paused next to the door, she continued, "if I find out you didn't get some real sleep tonight, you'll spend the next two days on bed rest. Sedated, if I must."

"Noted," Squall replied evenly, then stalked from the room.

Kadowaki sighed and poked her head into Seifer's room. "Hungry?"

Seifer grinned. "And bored. You got anything to read in here?"

The doctor snorted. "Medical texts."

Seifer considered that for a moment. "I'll take it."

Kadowaki shook her head, but left to gather him something to read and order them both something to eat.

-0-

"Squall?" Zell asked, poking his head through the door with a troubled expression.

Squall waved for him to come in, not looking up from his paperwork. "Did you find Quistis?"

Zell shook his head. "No. She seems to have vanished sometime overnight. But..." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "She's been spreading rumours. That Seifer was the one who tortured you in D-District."

Squall's hand froze mid-way through his signature, hair obscuring the tightening of his mouth.

Zell took his silence as affirmation and snapped, "That fucking _bastard_!"

Squall carefully set his pen down before he could accidentally snap it and calmly enquired, "How long have you known Cadet Addams? Twelve years?"

Zell blinked, surprised out of his anger at the apparent non sequitur. "Jason? Yeah, sure, twelve, thirteen years. He lived right next door to us in Balamb."

Squall nodded. "And have you even known him to act violently towards a person in a position of authority? For any reason?" He glanced up, quicksilver eyes sharp with dark knowledge.

Zell felt a bit like he was being backed into a corner. "No, never. Why would..." He trailed off when he finally realised that the guard he'd laid out in the infirmary had been Jason. "Oh, fuck."

Squall returned his attention back down to his paperwork, carefully picking his pen back up. "We only got back onto a proper dock yesterday; see if one of the security staff at the front gate saw her leaving. Alternately, check through the security footage on the second floor deck. Maybe we'll be lucky and she'll have been caught by that camera."

Zell swallowed. "Why didn't you tell us?" he wanted to know.

Squall frowned down at his paperwork. "I knew how you'd react." He glanced up at the blond, eyes hard. "I want to know how long Quistis has been gone."

Zell nodded and turned to leave. He was halfway out the door before he paused to ask, "What are you going to do about the rumours? I mean, everyone already knows that Seifer's a jerk, so it's not too hard to imagine him doing something like that, you know?"

Squall sighed and rubbed a finger along his scar. "What do you expect me to do, Zell? Deny the truth? Try to explain the control a Sorceress can bring to bear on her servants? Everyone knows he went with her willingly, and him blowing up that missile base only means so much. Seifer won't want their sympathy, anyway." He glanced tiredly up at the blond in the doorway. "As long as no one tries attacking him in the building, there's little I can do; they'll believe whatever they wish to believe." He returned to his paperwork, signalling the end of the conversation.

Zell slipped out of the office and started towards the lift, hands in his pockets. He had never liked Seifer, and he really wasn't surprised that the bastard had tortured Squall – whether he was being controlled by Ultimecia or not at the time hardly mattered – but when he tried to hate the bastard for it, he remembered him in that tiny container, death literally hanging over his head. He remembered the list of injuries Selphie had whispered to them over a fire during their journey to Esthar, the tears Matron had cried for the terrible things she'd done to one of her own children.

_'Maybe he's a real fucking bastard, but **no one** deserves the hell he went through. If anyone has any right to hold that against him, it's Squall, and he's clearly forgiven the bastard. And he **is** a bastard, but he saved **all** our asses and almost died for it. I'm never going to like him, but I'm not going to stand back and watch his name get dragged through the mud for something he may or may not have willingly done.'_

"Hey, Zell?" Selphie called as the opening lift doors revealed her, a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"Hey, Selph. What's wrong?" he asked, pasting on a strained smile.

Selphie bit her bottom lip. "I just heard a really nasty rumour about Seifer."

Zell's heart fell and he pressed her back into the lift, following her and pressing the button to close the doors. "About D-District?"

Selphie nodded, looking sick. "It can't be true," she whispered.

Zell shook his head. "Squall said it was."

"Why didn't he _tell_ us?!"

Zell let out a strained laugh. "You know Squall, he wouldn't tell us if he was two days from dying of a painful illness and in screaming agony all day." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He was protecting us. And Seifer, I think. He, uhm...he sort of implied that Seifer was being forced to do it against his will, but I'm not sure how true that is, knowing Seifer. But..."

Selphie hugged herself. "It's not fair. People were just getting used to thinking that Seifer isn't such a bad guy, and now they're back to thinking he's even more of a jerk than they thought before. And he's _not_. I mean, okay," she amended at Zell's disbelieving look, "he's kind of a jerk, but he's not _wilfully cruel_. Not like that rumour is painting him. We... Can't we do anything?"

Zell turned eyes dark with anger on Seifer's behalf to the floor of the lift. "I don't know. Squall's not even going to try..."

Selphie chewed her bottom lip for a long minute before reaching past Zell's shoulder to press the button for the first floor. "We can combat that stupid rumour."

"How?" Zell wondered.

"With the truth," Selphie decided. "Remind them that right after that, he destroyed a missile base and saved all of us. We wouldn't be here if not for him, after all. And he's already paid for that."

Zell nodded, determination filling his chest. "The cadet who shot Squall is one of the least violent cadets in the whole of Garden. He was being controlled by Ultimecia, so what's to say Seifer wasn't. I mean, he probably wasn't, knowing him, but we don't need to mention that. Right?"

Selphie grinned. "Right!"

The lift doors fell open and Selphie started off towards the quad while Zell turned towards the main entrance to ask the security person there about Quistis. As he walked, he wondered, _'Isn't it ironic that **I** would be one of those trying the hardest to keep people from hating Seifer? Me, who's suffered his torment since before I can remember?'_ He let out a breathless laugh. _'Dammit, you bastard. You **so** owe me. I'm gonna make this Garden look at you with sparkles in their eyes if it's the last fucking thing I ever do. And then I can punch your face in next time you call me 'Chicken-wuss' and I won't feel a damn bit of regret.'_


	8. Every Hero Has a Past, Every Sinner a Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much nothing but Seifer and Squall. Some other characters make a brief appearance, but this is all about them coming to terms with their changed circumstances and getting together.  
> I only hope I managed to keep them IC. *sigh*
> 
> I have been wanting to use this chapter title for _years_. It's been sitting on my list of possible titles since before I _had_ the list. OMG. I have no words for how happy I am to have finally found a chapter for this. *glee*

"Hey, Commander Lazy-Ass."

Squall sighed and looked up at where Seifer leaned against the door frame of his office, decked out in his favoured outfit and with Hyperion – they'd found it while cleaning up Galbadia Garden – slung across his back. "Aren't you supposed to be in the infirmary?" he wondered.

"Released by the she-lion an hour ago." Seifer stalked forward and placed Revolver on the paper-strewn desk. At Squall's raised eyebrow, he said, "Messenger Girl got it for me when I asked."

Squall picked up his gunblade and carefully rested it against his desk. "I hardly need a weapon to finish this paperwork."

Seifer snorted. "No, but you _do_ need one to spar with me."

"That's assuming I'm even _going_ to. Thanks, but no thanks." He returned to his paperwork, effectively dismissing the taller man.

Seifer blinked once in surprise, then narrowed his eyes, a familiar anger at being ignored bubbling in his gut. "Well," he snapped, "if _His Highness_ is too afraid to get his fat ass handed to him, I suppose we'll just have to forgive him. It's not like we're leaving to escort a homicidal Sorceress to Esthar in a couple days and you're _rusty_ , right?"

Squall clenched his jaw, but refused to rise to the bait. It was bad enough that he'd already been talked into going and leaving his job to someone else for a week–

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with getting your ass handed to you by a _girl_ while on the road," Seifer continued. "Much better than here, in Garden, where everyone will hear about it, right?"

"Excuse me," Squall interrupted silkily, "but _which of us_ usually gets our asses handed to us?" He'd finally looked up, quicksilver eyes burning in challenge.

 _'Got you,'_ Seifer thought triumphantly. " _You_ were the one who _fainted_ after our last spar, as I recall."

"And _you_ were the one who _lost_ our last fight," Squall shot back.

"At least I didn't _faint_ like some little girl. 'Oh, poor Lady Squall'!"

Squall stood from his chair and snatched Revolver from next to him. "I'm going to make you swallow your words, Almasy," he hissed, buckling his gunblade in place behind him.

Seifer smirked. "Not from behind a desk you won't, Pretty Boy."

Squall retained enough sense to not try an attack in his office – cleaning up the paperwork wouldn't be any fun – and stalked past his rival to the door, leading the way to the Training Centre. _'Fucking Seifer,'_ he seethed as he punched the call button for the lift, the brief wait cooling his thoughts enough to realise what he was doing. _'He **always** does this. I never learn.'_

"Don't get cold feet on me now, Princess," Seifer teased.

"I _never_ get cold feet. _Seify_."

Seifer laughed at that and gave Squall's shoulder a gentle shove as the lift doors popped open. "That was weak, Squally."

Squall grunted and pressed the button for the first floor. Knowing Selphie, she'd already made Seifer like the nickname she'd given him two days ago just by being her usual, cheerful self. Hyne knew it had worked on Squall, and he'd already had a dislike for 'Squally,' what with Seifer using it since they were kids to get a rise out of him.

It was rather nostalgic to be stalking towards the Training Centre with Seifer, Revolver slung over his ass. Squall hadn't realised how much he'd missed this until he had it again and he had a sudden, dizzying moment where he recalled that he'd almost lost it.

"Squall?" Seifer asked as the slighter teen stopped and wavered on his feet. "You okay?"

Squall shook his head. "Fine," he murmured, starting to walk again.

"Liar," Seifer muttered, but didn't press the issue.

Inside the Training Centre, they came across a group of seven cadets practising with gunblades, a sharp-eyed instructor watching over them.

"Ooh. Now here's a sight you don't see every day," Seifer commented, a grin in his voice.

"Commander," the instructor realised, snapping out a salute. She shot an uncertain look at the tall blond standing just behind Squall, not certain what to think of the man who was painted as both a villain and a saint in the rumour mill.

Thankfully, mentioning the Commander was enough to get all the cadets to lower their weapons and stare at him in awe, so the instructor's inattention didn't end in any wounds.

The youngest of the cadets, an eleven-year-old boy, realised, "Hey, you're wearing your gunblade!"

"Do you know how _sad_ it is that people are actually _surprised_ to see you with a weapon?" Seifer wondered rhetorically before asking, "And since when has it been part of the curriculum to learn the gunblade, anyway?"

"It's not," Squall muttered.

"We want to be like the Commander," one of the cadets announced. "Gunblades are _cool_."

Seifer raised an eyebrow at that, then replied, "They're also damn-hard to master. Only overachievers like your Commander bother picking them up."

"Then what does that make _you_?" Squall wondered bitingly. "Not an overachiever, certainly."

"No, I'm the one with something to prove," Seifer returned with a smug little grin.

"No debate there," Squall muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You're Seifer Almasy!" the eleven-year-old realised. "The Sorceress' Knight!"

Seifer flinched at that label. Half the reason he'd initiated this spar was to _forget_ about his time with Ultimecia. He'd had too much free time in the infirmary to think back on everything he'd done and that had been done to him, and sparring with Squall had always distracted him in the past.

" _Ex_ -Knight," Squall corrected, a sharp bite of reproach in his voice.

The boy flushed and bowed his head in shame.

 _'My hero,'_ Seifer thought drily, a little touched by the very Squall attempt to protect him. "No need to bite the kid's head off, Squally. We all knew what he meant." He winked at the kid when he glanced up at him and the boy sent back an uncertain smile.

"If you're both here with your gunblades, does that mean you were going to spar?" one of the cadets asked, looking hopeful. Around her, the others pasted excitedly hopeful looks on their faces as well.

The instructor, too, looked a little hopeful. "It would be a good learning experience," she suggested.

Squall sighed and rubbed at his scar. "...Whatever."

"That means yes, but you'll have to give us room to move," Seifer translated with a grin.

The kids all holstered their weapons and excitedly hurried off to one side, near their instructor. A couple were bouncing a bit, looking like their birthdays had come early.

"No magic," Squall ordered as the two men pulled out their gunblades and got into position.

"Aw, Squally, that takes all the fun out of it!"

Squall raised an eyebrow. "Fine, we can use magic."

Seifer paused at that, recalling that Squall preferred ice spells, then shook his head, quickly back-tracking through his thoughts; ice magic wasn't something he was interested in standing against any time soon, para-magic or otherwise. "Right, no magic."

Confusion, then understanding flashed through Squall's eyes and he nodded. After a breath, he darted forward and to the right, slinging his blade up to deflect the expected return attack of the blond, then jumping back after it had connected. They were both rusty, he realised, and a little slower in their reactions. It was expected, but distressing.

Seifer started forward as soon as Squall was just out of reach of Hyperion's longer blade, feinting left before going right and swinging low. Squall blocked him with his usual accuracy, dancing out of the way so Seifer's greater strength couldn't work against the smaller gunblader.

They continued on this vein for a while, Seifer running in and trying to pin Squall down while the lithe teen darted out of the way and, occasionally, tried a follow-up that Seifer would block with the knowledge of years of training telling him when Squall would try it.

Finally, Seifer managed to pin Squall with an overhead swing and the smaller gunblader bent under the blond's greater strength, shoving back with determination in his eyes for a long moment before he dropped quickly to the ground and spun out of the way, his sudden move giving him the chance to hook the back of Seifer's blade and flick it out of his grasp.

"Fuck, I _hate_ it when you do that," Seifer complained, rubbing at his finger, which had been clasped around the trigger and pulled when he'd been disarmed.

Squall raised an eyebrow and smoothly sheathed Revolver. "Then don't leave yourself open for it."

Cheers interrupted them before Seifer could find a suitably biting response and the two gunbladers found themselves surrounded by cadets who were gushing about the spar, all talking over top of one another. Squall sighed a bit helplessly, but Seifer grinned and soaked up the attention. One of the kids even got Hyperion for him, struggling under the large blade's weight. The kid's eyes widened when Seifer took his gunblade with a quick, "Thanks," and slung it into place without any apparent effort.

Squall left the kids to Seifer, since adoring fans were more his thing, and joined the wide-eyed instructor a ways back. He frowned down at a rip in his jacket, wondering when Seifer had hit him. At least it hadn't drawn blood, for once. And the rip was small enough that he would be able to patch it with some of the thread he had in his room, rather than having to replace _another_ jacket. _'One of these days, I'll learn not to spar in my favourite clothing.'_

"Commander?" the instructor breathed.

Squall glanced at her and dragged her name out of his hazy memories. "Yes, Instructor Birobeam?"

The woman flushed, smiling very faintly. "I know you're busy, but would it be too much to ask if you'd come by to help with this class every once in a while? I don't know much about gunblades, so I can't always help the cadets when they have questions."

Squall looked back over the kids, considering that. "Perhaps," he decided. "However, both Seifer and I will be out of Garden for the next week or so, so it will have to wait."

The woman's excited smile fell slightly. "The Sorceress?" she wondered.

Squall shrugged. "Yes." Rinoa being the current Sorceress was common knowledge in Garden, as was the fact that she would be taken to Esthar to be sealed in a few days. That Seifer and Squall would be going with the others wasn't, necessarily, so well known, but nor was it some huge secret.

"Then... maybe you could stay for a bit today or tomorrow?"

Squall frowned. "Seifer certainly could stay and help, but I–"

"You'll be staying too!" Seifer called, proving that he'd been paying plenty of attention to the conversation, in spite of the huddle of kids attempting to distract him. "They're emulating _your_ fighting style, Princess, not mine. I can tell them how to swing a blade one-handed, but your nancy-pansy two-handed hold is completely beyond me."

"You shouldn't call the Commander 'Princess'," one of the older boys informed the blond man, looking quite disapproving. "It's disrespectful."

"Seifer doesn't know the meaning of the word," Squall replied drily. "And I can't stay."

"Aww..."

Seifer waved the kids down. "Give me a moment with His Highness," he told them before slinging a friendly arm around the slighter teen's shoulder and walking them a few paces away.

Squall tugged out of his hold and hissed, "I have _work_ , Seifer. _Some_ of us understand what it means to have a _duty_."

Seifer frowned. "You think I don't understand duty?"

"You've certainly never cared before."

"I was never the Knight to a fucking lunatic before, either," Seifer spat, anger making his voice harsh. He softened his tone when Squall flinched, admitting, "Okay, no, I've never cared much for school work, and the DC was always more a way to beat up on our peers than actually improve this sinkhole, but just because I didn't give a fuck doesn't mean I didn't understand the point behind it."

"Then you understand why I need to do my job," Squall whispered, almost pleading.

Seifer shook his head. "I understand that you've been stuck behind a desk for the past week with paperwork while your gunblade rusted in your room. I understand that people seeing you with a weapon at hand makes them think another homicidal bitch is about to bring the world down on their heads, rather than being a common sight. You can't lead these people if you can't even _fight_ , Squall, and that means spending some time _away from your desk_. Longer than just a ten-minute spar," he added before Squall could mention that little titbit.

Squall rubbed angrily at his scar and growled, "I will have _plenty_ of time to 'train' on our way to Esthar. Right now, I need to catch up on all this paperwork so Cid isn't so bogged down."

"Cid has been running this place just fine since we were kids, he can run it again without you worrying about it," Seifer insisted. "And you're not training on the way to Esthar, not if we're fighting real enemies. If you're not in proper form, you're going to get yourself killed."

"I will not–"

Seifer grabbed the smaller man's shoulders and shook him a bit. "You're a stubborn asshole, but so am I. Do you _really_ want to waste more time arguing with me? Stay and help me with these kids for the next hour of their class, then I'll let you go back to your office and leave you alone until dinner. Deal?"

Squall considered that for a moment, trying to find any tricky little loopholes that would allow the blond to keep him longer, then nodded. "Fine. Why only until dinner?" He shot a narrow-eyed look at Seifer.

Seifer snorted and let go of Squall's shoulders. "Because Kadowaki told me to make sure you eat at least two meals a day. Something about you avoiding food at all costs?"

"I was _sick_ ," Squall reminded him.

"Not for the past two days," Seifer shot back. "Not unless you've been hiding it again. In which case, I'll just drag you to Kadowaki and leave you in her clutches." He smirked at Squall's disgusted glare. "Come on, brats to teach."

"Asshole," Squall muttered before stalking past the ex-Knight towards the hopeful class. "All right," he called in his 'Commander Voice', "let's see your forms."

Seifer silently patted himself on the back before turning and joining the Commander.

-0-

"Dinner time, Princess," Seifer called as he strode into the Commander's office.

Squall didn't bother looking up from the request he was reading through. "Stop calling me that."

"Would you prefer 'Lady Squall', then?" Seifer wondered, leaning on the edge of the desk and looming between Squall's paper and the overhead light.

"How about just 'Commander'?" Squall replied, flipping on his desk light.

"Mmm... Nah." Seifer dropped back into one of the chairs across from the desk, absently shifting Hyperion out of the way. "How about I sit here and insult you until you agree to put the paperwork away for the night and eat dinner with me?"

Squall sighed and gave the other gunblader a tired look. "Shut up and let me finish reading this and signing off on it, then we can go."

Seifer shrugged and picked a shapeless paperweight off the desk to play with while Squall finished his work.

Finally, Squall put the pen in his catch-all and dropped the request in the outbox before standing, back popping unpleasantly. "Okay, we can go," he announced as he strapped Revolver to his belts.

Seifer dropped the paperweight back on the desk and jumped to his feet. "How the fuck do you manage to sit there all day? I would go _insane_ in here."

"Which is why _I_ am behind the desk, not you." Squall pressed the call button for the lift, then asked, "The cafeteria?"

Seifer shook his head. "In town."

Squall frowned. "Why in FH? There's plenty of good food in Garden."

"Ah, yes, but we're eating _with_ people. A little outing."

"I don't _do_ 'outings'," Squall hissed.

Seifer pushed him into the lift. "Sure you do." He pressed the button for the second floor before Squall could hit the bottom floor, then blocked all further attempts. "Oh, come on, Squally. Live a little!"

Squall huffed and finally settled on just glaring at the blond as Seifer led him down the hall to the deck.

Selphie, Irvine, and Zell awaited them next to the weapons locker, all wearing amused smiles at Squall's disgusted look.

Selphie let go of Irvine's arm and danced forward to take Squall's instead. "Hiya, Squally! We're all going out to dinner. It's going to be _sooo_ much fun!"

Squall sighed and resigned himself to going along with this. Saying no to Selphie would be like kicking a puppy. "Whatever," he muttered, freeing his arm so he could unhook Revolver and hand it over to the smirking Seifer to secure.

They started towards the city with Selphie hanging onto Squall's arm, talking a mile a minute about the Garden Festival planning she had been wrapped up in since they'd returned to Garden. She'd dragged Zell and Irvine in on it, too. Squall had a vague recollection of Zell ducking any mention of the committee during the SeeD ball and was quietly amused at how things had changed.

"Seifer, you should help too!" Selphie added over her shoulder at one point.

"Garden Festivals, I'm afraid, are the one thing I am incapable of doing," Seifer offered with a dramatic sad look.

Squall smirked faintly. "Really? So that trumpet in your room is just for show?"

"Wha–! When the fuck were you in my room?!"

"You can play the trumpet?" Selphie asked, excitedly transferring from Squall's arm to Seifer's. "You should join our band, then! I've been _looking_ for a trumpet player!"

Seifer shot Squall a look that promised retribution even as he grudgingly said, "I suppose..."

"Thanks, Seify!" Selphie hugged his arm. "I have a trumpet player!"

"You know, somehow, trumpet fits you," Irvine commented, humour glinting in his eyes. "Loud, obnoxious and all-too-often the centre of attention."

"Irvy plays the harmonica," Selphie added.

"Fitting," Seifer decided, flashing the cowboy a grin. "Quiet, loner, and so very girly. It would probably fit Squally, too."

"Nah, Squall's more of a piano person, I think," Selphie disagreed. "Or maybe another strings instrument."

"Can we stop debating about an instrument I _don't play_?" Squall wondered a touch bitingly as Zell led them into one of the smaller restaurants that dotted the small town.

A petite waitress rushed over when the door opened, smiling brightly. "The Garden party! Right this way." She led them over to a corner booth, where none of them would have their backs to the door, even if it meant they all had to scoot in together. Selphie ended up in the middle with Squall and Irvine on either side and Zell and Seifer on the outside edges.

They were thoughtfully silent as they decided on their food, then fell into an uncomfortable silence after they'd ordered, all of them searching for something to say.

Finally, Irvine asked, "Squall? What would be required for me to make SeeD?"

Squall blinked, surprised. "Not a lot. Why?"

"You want to be a SeeD, Irvy?" Selphie wondered, eyes wide.

Irvine shrugged. "I wouldn't mind getting paid to hang out with you all. How much is 'not a lot'?" He cocked his head around Selphie so he could look at Squall.

The Commander rubbed at his scar thoughtfully. "Normally, you'd have to take both the written and practical exams, then be judged by a board of current SeeDs and instructors. Given that you've already run a couple of SeeD level missions, I could probably waive both requirements, but I'd want to run it by Xu, first, since she's technically your Headmistress. I can message her tonig–"

"Tomorrow," Seifer interrupted with a sharp look.

Selphie giggled. "Squally's got a babysitter."

"I'm Doctor Kadowaki approved," Seifer agreed with a grin at the only woman in their group.

Squall stared at Seifer for a long moment before stating, "We're already in town. It would be sensible for me to send the message now, rather than making two trips tomorrow."

"Ah, but two trips gets you out from behind your desk twice _and_ you get twice the exercise. I see nothing wrong with this."

"I am going to stop by the inn–"

"No, you're really not," Seifer cut in, narrowing his eyes, all playfulness gone.

"And I suppose you plan to stop me." Squall scoffed.

"Yes." Seifer raised an eyebrow at Squall's disbelieving look. "I'll hit you with a Sleep spell and carry you back if I have to, Squall, but you're not doing any more work tonight."

"Wha–?" Squall shook his head and forcefully brought himself back under control. "I take it this is another one of Doctor Kadowaki's ideas? Keep me from overworking myself or some nonsense?"

"Nope." Seifer smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Making you eat was her idea, making you train and stop working every once in a while is all me."

"I'm not going to just let you order me around, Seifer," Squall hissed.

Seifer sighed and looked put upon. "Can we skip all the denials and get to the point where you realise that, a, I'm not going to back down; b, I can totally force you to comply with me; and c, I have no compunctions against using said force? Because, really, it would save a lot of time."

Squall glared at him, putting as much venom and hatred into his eyes as he could.

Seifer smiled. "I'm glad that's out of the way."

"Did you just get Squall to _listen to you_?" Irvine wondered, looking awed.

Seifer shrugged, all smiles. "I'm sure we'll argue about it another six times or so, but, yeah."

"If I wasn't certain I'd get killed for trying it, I'd ask you to teach me."

Squall turned his glare on Irvine, who immediately hid behind Selphie.

"I can't take you boys anywhere," Selphie complained before leaning over and kissing Squall's cheek. "Stop that. We're having a _nice_ dinner."

As if her words had called them, their food arrived and was set out before them with smiles.

Once the waitress and waiter who'd helped her deliver the food were gone, Seifer asked, "So, what's Esthar like?"

Selphie immediately started gushing, completely distracting Squall from the dark glower he'd directed towards his food. That, followed by stories from the gunblade class, courtesy of Seifer, kept them busy and relatively happy throughout the meal. When the bill came, Squall took it before anyone else could and calmly glared down all protestations as he counted out the required gil; as Commander, he was making way more gil than any of them, especially when both Seifer and Irvine were still technically students.

On the way back to Garden, Squall glanced towards the inn, but Seifer draped an arm around his shoulders and shot him a knowing smile. "You can come back tomorrow," he said.

Squall sighed and decided it wasn't worth fighting about.

They all parted ways at the entrance to the dorms. Squall shut his door behind him and quickly changed for bed. He tried to sleep for a good two hours before he gave it up as a bad job and slipped a shirt and his boots on. _'I have way too much work for this. Maybe a couple more hours and then I can try again...'_ He stepped out of his room, only to freeze in shock.

Seifer smirked at him from where he was leaning against the wall across the hallway. "Hi, Princess."

Squall blinked, then pointed a finger down the hall in the general direction of the cadet doubles. "Don't make me call you out for breaking curfew," he snapped.

Seifer snorted. "I'm not, technically, enrolled, Squally. The only reason I even have a room is because no one thought to toss my stuff or change my room code on me. And because Rai probably refused another roommate, knowing the stubborn idiot. Anyway, when have I _ever_ cared about curfew?"

Squall could count at least a dozen spars with Seifer that had occurred after curfew, but still... "You should be sleeping."

Seifer nodded. "Yup. So should you, really." He smiled. "I can stay out here all night and sleep while you're working tomorrow, if I must."

Squall scowled. "Who the fuck designated you as my fucking nanny?"

"I did." Seifer's smile widened as Squall's scowl deepened.

Squall took a deep breath, then asked, " _Why_ are you so determined to keep an eye on me?"

Seifer's eyes darkened with memories and pain and he looked for a moment like he was going to give Squall a real answer, but then a door down the hall opened and he was all smugly amused smiles again. "Because riling you up never gets old."

Squall narrowed his eyes and he stepped back into his room. "Get in here," he ordered in his 'Commander Voice'.

Seifer snorted. "You know I don't listen well to orders."

Squall pursed his lips. "Either get in here, or let me go to my office."

"Ooh, bargaining. _Now_ you're learning, Squally. But I don't want to do either of those things." Seifer shot him an amused look. "Care to try again?"

Squall rubbed at his scar for a moment, then pulled a knife that he'd slipped in the back of his sleep trousers and held it in preparation to throw. "How many of these can you duck?" he wondered drily.

"You're _really_ bad at this," Seifer teased, but he still stepped into the room and palmed the door control. "Hey, I can keep a much better eye on you now," he realised.

Squall sighed and dropped onto his bed, absently slipping the knife away. "Why are you keeping an eye on me?"

Seifer blinked, his smile going a little crooked for a moment before he forced it back in place. "I told you, because riling–"

"I will throw you in solitary next to Rinoa if you lie to me, Almasy," Squall snapped.

Seifer shuddered at the thought, then sighed and pulled out the desk chair to sit in, looking exhausted beyond his years. "Can we _not_ talk about this?" he asked in a voice that wasn't quite begging, but fell pretty close.

Squall leaned down to pull of his boots. "You've been irritating me all day, and now you're keeping me from my job; I deserve an explanation for why you're being more obnoxiously persistent than usual." He sat back against the wall, boots left next to the bed, and pinned the blond with an unforgiving look.

Seifer sighed and rubbed at the scar between his eyes in a way that was strangely reminiscent of Squall's usual action. "When Ultimecia was torturing me," Seifer said quietly, "the whole time, the thing that kept me going was the knowledge that _you_ would be the one who would do her in. I kept thinking, 'Squall will come.' 'Squall will get rid of her.' I didn't even care if I was dead by the time you showed up, I just knew you would do it.

"And then, you did." Seifer glanced up at the regretful blue-grey eyes across from him. "You showed up and you didn't even fucking _care_ about her. You came over and you helped me, as serious about getting me out of there alive as you've been about anything and..." He looked away. "I didn't understand _why_. I _still_ don't get it. Fuck, I _tortured_ you, and I know you said it doesn't matter, that it was war or whatever the fuck, but it _did_ matter. It _does_. I've never been anything but a fucking asshole to you, and instead of saving the world, like you were _supposed to_ , you saved _me_."

"You believe yourself undeserving of being saved?" Squall asked quietly.

Seifer snorted. "I walked willingly into her arms. I listened to her lies and I was right there with her, scorning everything I've ever worked towards. Being a Sorceress Knight was a nice kid's dream, but I wanted to be a SeeD _so_ bad and with just a smile from her, I was talking it down like it was nothing. She said she wanted to blow up Trabia and Balamb, to destroy the little monsters before they could become a danger and I was right there next to her. _I_ was the one who said I'd torture whatever information she wanted out of you. I–"

"You're not a nice person, Seifer," Squall cut in, refusing to hear any further self-disgust spewing from his rival's lips. "Neither of us are. We were raised to be murderers and thieves, to live our lives doing the biddings of others, no matter how morally corrupt those requests were. Just yesterday, I approved a mission to send a SeeD out to kill some Galbadian General's mistress because she's with child and he doesn't want to put up with the hassle."

Seifer's eyes widened in disbelief. "You–"

"It's business. We need the money to keep this place afloat, and it's never mattered where the money came from." Squall shrugged. "Maybe Ultimecia has a point and we're just a school for morally corrupt monsters. Maybe the world would have been better off destroying all of us before we really got started. Maybe the world will destroy itself without us here to fight their little battles for them. I don't know." He met the wide green eyes across from him, his own eyes dark with suppressed emotions. "Do _I_ deserve to be saved?"

Seifer shook his head, wordless.

"I don't believe in labels like 'good' and 'evil' or 'right' and 'wrong'," Squall continued. "I believe in 'comrades' and 'enemies' and 'clients'. You've always been more a comrade than an enemy, even when I was hanging on that wall in that prison. Maybe we were on separate sides, but that's never changed the fact that I wouldn't–" Squall choked on his own words, uncomfortable with baring his soul, but Seifer had told him his darkest thoughts, and he deserved this truth. "We've _always_ been together," he whispered, trying a different angle, "so much that I can't imagine a life without you there, irritating me and goading me into stupid duels when I'm supposed to be doing something important, like class work or sleeping or–"

Seifer reached out and pressed a finger to Squall's lips, a strange look in his eyes. "Don't," he breathed, half-pleading.

Squall pulled the finger away from his mouth. "You're worth saving to me," he whispered.

Seifer closed his eyes for a long moment before standing from the chair and kneeling on either side of Squall's thighs on the bed. "Damn it, Squall," he murmured before leaning forward and pressing his lips against the smaller teen's. "Damn you," he murmured again before pressing another kiss against Squall's lips.

Squall was stunned into inaction for a long moment, but before Seifer could pull away from the second kiss, he regained control of his limbs and reached up to bury his hands in gelled blond hair and pull it back to him while he pressed up. One of Seifer's hands went to the wall to brace them while the other grabbed the back of Squall's neck in a bruising grip, angling both their heads to deepen the kiss and invading Squall's mouth with a tongue intent on conquest. Squall refused to give up so easily, pulling warningly on Seifer's hair even as his own tongue fought back, jabbing and pressing and slowly entwining as they both relaxed, neither in control.

Seifer was the one to pull back first, breathing hard and pressing his forehead against Squall's, their scars matching each other perfectly. The hand at the back of Squall's neck loosened and brushed up through the shorter hairs, earning a shudder from the smaller teen. "Fuck," he breathed.

Squall shuddered again at the feeling of Seifer's breath mingling with his and he brushed his hands through the gelled locks, soothing over the disarray he'd thrown them into when he'd pulled at them. "Stay here," he whispered.

Seifer gave a breathy laugh. "You're never getting rid of me now, Squall."

"...Good," Squall decided, angling his head just enough to brush his lips against Seifer's.

Seifer pulled back and got off the bed so he could unhook Hyperion and pull off his coat and boots. He paused for the briefest of moments before tugging his vest off as well, then he returned to the bed, motioning that they should both lay down.

Squall pulled his own shirt off and tossed it towards his hamper before moving to join Seifer under the covers the elder teen had pulled back. The knife from the back of his trousers was slipped under his pillow and he heard Seifer laugh as he mirrored the action with his own knife.

Seifer wrapped an arm around Squall's waist and drew the lithe teen closer, pressing them chest-to-chest. Their too-pale ice wounds were chilling reminders of their troubled pasts, but neither of them flinched back from the cold, instead pressing closer together to share heat around the uncommon cold.

And, somehow, it worked.


	9. Gather Your Strength

Squall was glad for his week spent sleeping by Seifer's bed in the infirmary, because if he hadn't already been used to the larger man's scent, he probably would have stabbed him upon waking crushed in the muscled arms. As it was, he just huffed a bit in irritation and set about looking for a way to get free. _'It would figure the idiot would like to cuddle. He probably strangled all his bears when we were kids...'_ Squall paused, recalling a particularly vivid memory of Zell throwing a tantrum because Seifer had stolen his stuffed dog and its head had half come off in the night.

"Stop wriggling," Seifer muttered sleepily.

Squall scowled. "Then let me _breathe_ , you brute."

"You're warm..."

"I have a knife."

Seifer's arms loosened.

Squall nodded and rested his head back against Seifer's chest, content to remain where he was now that he wasn't being crushed.

Seifer let out a pleased murmur and fell back into a light doze.

They remained like that for about another hour before a knock came at Squall's door, waking them both properly. "Squall?" Doctor Kadowaki called.

"Mom's checking up on you," Seifer muttered.

Squall shoved at the bigger gunblader, then pulled himself out of bed and over to the door. He opened it and shot the doctor an irritated look. "Is someone dead or dying?" he asked evenly.

Kadowaki snorted. "Not so far."

"Did Rinoa escape her cell?"

"Oh, fuck no," Seifer moaned, rolling out of the bed. "It's too early to be that depressing, Squally."

Kadowaki peered around the irritated Commander and raised an eyebrow at the half-dressed blond. "I suppose that answers why you haven't been dragged to breakfast yet," she offered, amusement colouring her voice.

Squall palmed the door control as a response and the door slid shut between them. Then he dropped his head against the closed door. When Seifer stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, the brunet muttered, "You're cold."

"Good morning, Squall," Seifer breathed in his ear, smirking at the shiver that ran down the Commander's spine. He stepped back and turned to find his vest. When he found it, hidden under Squall's shirt from the night before, he offered, "I'm going to my room for a shower and a quick change. Can I trust you to not run off while I'm gone?"

"Where would I go?" Squall muttered.

"Your office, and you're not going there until I've seen you fed." Seifer tossed a look over his shoulder.

Squall waved him on. "I'll be here," he promised, setting about finding his own clothing for the day. "Do I need to tell you my door code so you can get back in?"

"Only if you've changed it sometime in the past seven years."

Squall shook his head, remembering very vaguely the times Seifer had taken him back to his dorm instead of the infirmary after a spar, before they realised how furious Kadowaki would get when they tried taking care of their injuries on their own. Honestly, he probably still knew Seifer's room code from times when he'd been the one helping _him_ back, but since he had the override codes, it was hardly an issue.

Once the door to his room had closed, Squall made his way into the bathroom and took a quick shower of his own before dressing. Once back out in the main room, he stared at Revolver, debating whether or not he should take his trusty weapon with him. Knowing Seifer, he'd be goaded into a spar at one point or another, and he _did_ miss the gunblade's presence at his hips. But he needed to go into FH – twice, thanks to Seifer – and he couldn't wear his gunblade while seated at his desk.

 _'Maybe I should look into getting a chair that actually accommodates my gunblade. Seifer made a good point about it being kind of pathetic for people to be shocked by me carrying a weapon, and it's a bad idea to go around with only knives, just in case something happens.'_ He pulled out Revolver and sat in his desk chair to take care of his weapon and wait for Seifer.

The door slid open after another seven minutes or so and Seifer asked, "When did you want to leave tomorrow?"

"Early," Squall decided, putting his supplies away and standing to hook Revolver to his belts. "I'd like as much time on the road as possible before we have to sleep, especially since we'll have to carry Rinoa."

Seifer nodded and stepped back to let Squall past before falling into step with him towards the main hub. "I hate to say this, but you and I should probably avoid carrying her."

Squall glanced at the blond. "You're assuming she'll try something on one of us?"

"She would probably go after any of us, but she seems to be focussed on winning you for some reason, and we all know how much she wants me dead; better to put some distance between us and her."

"Agreed."

Seifer frowned faintly as they started past the cafeteria. "Squall..."

"Since I have to go into FH anyway, we can eat there," Squall said, shooting the taller man a look that threatened bodily harm if there was any debate about that.

Seifer rolled his eyes. "You intend to stop by the inn on our way in, eat breakfast, then stop by again on our way back to Garden," he realised.

Squall shrugged and pointed at a clock as they passed it. "I've usually been in my office for almost two hours by now."

Seifer sighed. "Oh, fine."

They were both quiet on the ride to the second floor and checking their weapons. They were halfway across the crane before Squall asked, "Do you still want to be a SeeD?"

Seifer glanced over at the slighter man with a touch of surprise. "I don't know if there's a place for a SeeD who won't listen to orders." He flashed Squall a smirk. "And who refuses to go on missions without his Commander; you're not getting rid of me, remember."

Squall snorted. "If you're not a SeeD by twenty, we're required to kick you out of Garden," he pointed out.

"Mm... I know." Seifer shoved his hands in his coat pockets and considered that. "Making SeeD has always been something I strove for, but you know me and authority; we just don't get on."

Squall nodded, silently admitting to that.

"If you can find a place for a degenerate, sure. Otherwise, I'll just take over your room and refuse to leave." He flashed Squall another smile.

 _'Maybe I should rethink that larger room Cid keeps trying to make me accept,'_ Squall thought, pushing open the door to the inn. The Headmaster seemed to be of the opinion that members of staff shouldn't be living with the rank and file, especially members as important to the smooth running of Garden as the Commander was. Something about being more easily accessible in an emergency, which made some sense, but not so much that he thought it required a larger room, especially when everyone already knew where his room was.

"Hey there, Commander!" the innkeeper called cheerfully from behind his desk. Squall spared a brief wave before he reached the messaging terminal and logged in.

Seifer leaned against the edge of the terminal while Squall checked through his messages and started one to Angelica. "Hey, where are Fuu and Rai, anyway? I would've thought they'd have been the ones sitting by my bedside."

"They opted to stay in Balamb Town, in hopes that you would return there."

"No one told them about my working for the Sorceress?"

Squall shrugged. "Zell did, but they seemed to think that was all the more reason to remain in town and wait for you. We knew Galbadia Garden was headed that way, after all."

Seifer smiled wryly. "Ever loyal, my posse. I suppose I should message them and let them know I'm alive."

Squall finished his message and sent it, then logged out. "It's all yours."

Seifer nodded his thanks and took over the terminal while Squall walked over to the inn's owner and looked through the items he had for sale. There had been a few worried messages from Raijin, as well as two short messages from Fujin – she wrote messages like she spoke, one word at a time. He typed up an abridged list of events that basically amounted to, 'I'm fine and I'll see you when Garden gets back home in a week or two.' With any luck, they would take the message as enough assurance that he didn't need them rushing to his side right that minute. He loved his posse and all, but if he was going to be in Esthar, there was no reason for them to be running to FH.

"Come on, Princess," he called as he logged out. "Breakfast."

Squall sighed and followed Seifer back outside, ignoring the guffaws of the innkeeper at his expense. "Can we please drop that name?" he wondered.

"But it never gets old!"

_'Mental note, enlist Zell's assistance in coming up with insulting names for Seifer.'_

Breakfast went as smoothly as could be expected, with only the occasional insult and a minor scuffle over the salt. Xu had messaged back by the time they returned to the inn, and she saw nothing wrong with Irvine becoming SeeD – Squall honestly hadn't thought she would, but he saw no reason to leave her out of the loop – so Squall added drawing up the official paperwork to hire Irvine to his mental list of things to do that morning.

"That gunblade class meets at thirteen hundred," Seifer commented neutrally as they jumped from the crane to the deck.

Squall considered that as they stepped inside and he pulled out their gunblades. _'That would give me three and a half hours to get some paperwork done. Two hours with the class, three to four more hours before Seifer drags me to dinner...'_

"I'll let you get an extra hour of work in after dinner," Seifer offered, guessing at the path of Squall's thoughts.

"...Whatever."

Seifer flashed him a grin. "Excellent. Do I need to come drag you down to the Training Centre, or can you manage on your own?"

Squall shot him a glare before turning and stalking towards the lift.

Seifer let out a loud laugh behind him before taking the stairs down to help Selphie with her Festival.

Squall stopped by the meeting room on his way to his office and poked his head in. "Cid?"

The Headmaster glanced up from some paperwork and offered the Commander a smile. "Come in, come in!" he called, waving the young man in. As soon as Squall had settled uncomfortably into a chair across from the Headmaster, Cid asked, "What can I do for you?"

Squall shifted his gunblade behind him so the hilt wasn't jabbing his side. "Two things," he replied quietly, "I'll take that room you've been harping me about–"

" _Finally_."

"–and I need some advice about what to do with Seifer," Squall continued, ignoring Cid's exclamation of glee.

Cid pulled over a paper that was already mostly filled out and slid it across the table with a pen. "The official paperwork for you to switch rooms," he explained to Squall's faint frown. "You can move in when you get back from Esthar. Now, what sort of help do you need with Seifer? I think he's proven himself enough to be made SeeD, if that's what you want."

Squall shrugged and did a quick read-through of the paperwork before signing off on it. "His time under Ultimecia's thumb hasn't made him any more willing to listen to authority," he said quietly, sliding the paper and pen back across the table, "less so, really. We can't have a SeeD that can't be trusted to follow orders, but he wants to stay in Garden."

Cid nodded. "You want him to remain, too," he pointed out.

Squall shrugged again. "Maybe."

Cid smiled knowingly. "I've heard you and Seifer helped the gunblade class yesterday."

Squall nodded.

"And that you're willing to assist further after you've returned."

"I am. Seifer's talked me into assisting today, as well."

The Headmaster looked pleased by that. "How is he? With the kids?"

Squall frowned slightly. "Fine. They didn't seem to know how to act around him, at first, but they seemed to like him fine after they got used to him." Understanding flashed in blue-grey eyes. "You want to make him an instructor?"

Cid's smile gentled. "He doesn't do well listening to authority, but he cares well for those he has authority over. After I let him form the Disciplinary Committee, other than the occasional harassment complaint from cadets your age or older, everything I ever heard about Seifer has been good. Bullying of junior classmen almost completely vanished, and the few times it occurred, the bully ended up in the infirmary. He's rude and uncouth, and his methods leave something to be desired at times, but I think he would make a good instructor."

Squall considered that for a moment, then nodded. "I'll fill out the paperwork to hire him as a SeeD," he decided as he stood.

"Excellent. Do you want to tell him, or should I?" Cid asked as he pulled out a form to certify Seifer as an instructor as well as a new room change form.

"I can tell him," Squall said, giving the room change form an uncertain look. "Cid... don't fill that one out."

Cid glanced up at the young Commander. "He can't stay in a cadet double."

Squall shrugged. "He won't."

"Then I have to fill this out."

Squall rubbed at his scar for a moment before leaning across the table and picking up the room change form he'd just signed and that Cid had set to one side to be filed later. Stealing a pen, he added Seifer's name to the form, then set it in front of Cid and hurried from the room.

Cid laughed and shook his head as he slid the blank room change form back into its pile. Only Squall would choose that method to announce that he and Seifer were dating. "Life should get rather interesting around here," he murmured as he noted a line for Seifer's signature and set it to one side for the ex-Knight to sign with the instructor paperwork.

-0-

"Knock, knock," Seifer said as he pushed the door to Squall's office open. Irvine stood behind him, looking curious. "Some little brat told us we needed to come to your office, pronto."

Squall waved them in and finished signing off on a SeeD report from one of the teams that had returned from Trabia that morning. Once the two men had taken seats across from him, he held out a form to each of them. "Read those over and sign," he ordered before pulling out another report to read over.

"Squall, this is the SeeD contract," Seifer commented carefully.

"Mmhm."

"Just read it and sign it, Seifer," Irvine muttered from behind his own paperwork.

Seifer frowned faintly but settled in to read the contract over. When Squall hadn't said anything further about him making SeeD, Seifer had thought that was the end of it. But here he was, reading over the contract to join the mercenary force, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that; as much as he _wanted_ to be a SeeD, he knew himself well enough to admit that he wasn't really SeeD material.

Once the contracts were signed, Squall nodded to himself and set those papers aside to file later. "Irvine, I'm starting you out at rank eight. I'll probably raise it when we get back from Esthar, but that's a fair starting point." Irvine nodded. "Seifer, you're going straight to instructor." That gave him an automatic SeeD rank of fifteen.

Seifer blinked a few times in disbelief, unable to articulate his surprise, so Irvine was the one who sputtered, "In-instructor?!"

Squall shrugged. "Cid seems to think you'll do a good job there." He hunted down the instructor paperwork Cid had sent him, as well as the room change forms for both new SeeDs – Irvine was technically staying in guest accommodations right now, so he too needed a new room – then handed them over, saying, "Seifer's instructor contract and both of your room change forms. Irvine, you'll be moving into the room I've got right now, so you'll have to wait until after we've returned from Esthar to move."

"Where are you moving to?" Irvine wondered as he signed off.

"Staff wing," Squall replied shortly, watching with some uncertainty as Seifer signed the instructor contract and flipped to the room change form.

Seifer paused when he realised that both his and Squall's names were on the form for the new room. He blinked at it a few times, then glanced up at the faintly nervous Commander. "Really?" he asked.

Squall shrugged and nodded. "Unless you–"

"Of course I'll move in with you," Seifer cut him off with a laugh. _'Only you, Squally...'_

"Whoa, wait. You two..." Irvine looked between the two gunbladers with a faintly disbelieving look.

Seifer grinned. "We're dating," he affirmed, liking the way that sounded.

"Huh." Irvine shook his head. "Suddenly, you sleeping at his bedside makes a lot more sense," he said to Squall.

Squall scowled at the cowboy. "Take those forms to Cid for him to file," he ordered before turning away to file the SeeD contracts.

The chairs creaked as both men stood to leave. "Two hours," Seifer called.

"I'm capable of reading a clock," Squall shot back.

Seifer grinned and followed Irvine out the door. "You have a lunch date?" Irvine asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Seifer snorted. "We're helping the gunblade class." He pushed open the door to the meeting room and waved the papers in his hands at Cid when the old man looked up. "Returning these."

Cid smiled and half stood to accept the papers when the two teens brought them over to him. "Thank you, boys. Do you know what time you'll be leaving tomorrow? I keep forgetting to ask Squall..."

"Squall said early, so probably at sunrise," Seifer offered with a shrug.

Cid nodded. "Good. Edea and I will probably see you off, then."

"That's really not necessary, sir," Irvine said.

Cid smiled at them and waved them off, returning to his work.

The two left the meeting room and started for the lift. "So," Irvine started, " _Instructor_ Almasy."

"Shut it, Kinneas."

Irvine chuckled. "I can't wait to see Selphie's reaction to hearing about you and Squall."

Seifer groaned. "That little shit. He left me to Selphie on my own on purpose!"

Irvine laughed loudly and shot the new instructor an amused look. "You probably deserved it."

Seifer sighed because, yeah, he probably did. But _still_. There was payback, and there was _payback_.

"Come on. This is one show I _won't_ miss."

-0-

Squall rubbed tiredly at his eyes and looked over his desk at the dozing Seifer. As promised, the ex-Knight had let him return to his office for another hour of work after dinner and insisted he would be able to amuse himself for an hour. Seifer had ended up falling asleep somewhere around the forty minute mark and Squall hadn't bothered waking him, deciding to just keep working for a while longer. Now it was almost midnight and they were supposed to be on the road at six. Seifer was going to kill him.

Sighing and resigned to his fate, Squall pushed himself out of his chair and grabbed Revolver on the way around his desk. "Seifer," he called, stopping next to the chair the other man was sleeping in.

Seifer let out a murmur and blinked up at the Commander through sleep-blurred eyes. "Squally? It's been an hour?"

Squall fought the urge to react to that. "Come on. The chair can't be comfortable."

Seifer grunted and stood, stretching with a wince. "Feels like I've been sitting there for long...er..." He blinked in disbelief at his watch for a moment, then turned angry green eyes on the shorter teen. " _Squall_!"

Squall stared back at him, lips pressed into a thin line. "Let's go to–"

"No, you are _not_ doing this to me!" Seifer grabbed Squall's arm before he could reach for the door. "It's been _three hours_ , Squall! We have a mission tomorrow, and that means a full night's sleep! Not that you should work until you can't keep your eyes open any longer! Damnit!"

"Six hours is sufficient sleep–" Squall started stiffly.

"Yeah, sure, if we weren't planning to spend all day on the road, watching over a woman who wants you under her control and me dead," Seifer snapped before sighing and leaning forward, resting their foreheads together. "It's too late to argue about it," he decided quietly. "What's done is done, but if you start stumbling from exhaustion part way through the day, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' and carry you the rest of the way like the stupid princess you are."

Squall scowled and pulled away. "You're not carrying me anywhere," he hissed.

"Then you'd better hope you don't start tripping over your own feet on the road," Seifer returned, stepping past the Commander and pulling the door open. "Come on."

Squall followed after the taller gunblader, feeling rather like he had as a small child when Matron caught him and Seifer running on the rocks over-looking the beach. They'd known it was dangerous, but Seifer had challenged him and Squall hadn't been about to turn a challenge down... Matron had been so upset and disappointed in them and Squall had sworn he would never disappoint her again, and he _hadn't_. He'd turned down any further challenges, more intent on staying in Matron's good graces than proving he was just as good as Seifer.

Here he was, almost thirteen years later, wondering what he could do to make Seifer not disappointed in him. _'I'm seventeen years old and the Commander of SeeD. Why should I care what **anyone** thinks of me? Let alone an instructor?'_ He sighed silently, recalling a conversation he'd once overheard between a couple of upper classmen who'd been bemoaning their girlfriend problems, complaining about how hard it was to keep them happy and how every little thing seemed to set them off. Squall had thought them all so pathetic at the time, but he thought he might understand what they'd been going through. _'Dammit. Relationships are too much work. This is why I didn't want to get close to anyone.'_

Seifer punched in the code for Squall's door and waited until they were both inside and the door was closed before he turned and pulled Squall into a bruising kiss. Once the Commander was properly dazed, he pulled back and started stripping to his trousers to sleep.

Squall shook his head and grabbed Seifer's arm before the taller man could get into the bed. "I'm..." He swallowed and looked down, tracing the bottom edge of the cold, pale skin his thumb had landed on. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Seifer reached up with his left hand and drew Squall's chin up so he could meet the tired eyes, so much more blue than grey for once. "Next time," he murmured, "when I say one hour, _listen to me_."

"I will," Squall promised.

Seifer sighed and gently pressed his lips against Squall's. "Let's get some sleep, silly Princess."

The grey of Squall's eyes faded back in and he scowled. "Stop _calling_ me that."

Seifer snorted. "No." Then he was climbing into the bed, leaving Squall glaring after him for a long moment before he huffed and got ready for bed. When the slighter teen climbed into bed, Seifer drew him against him, only for Squall to shove at his chest a few times until he deemed himself to be an acceptable distance away and settling down. Seifer let out a quiet chuckle and let the grumpy brunet have his way; once Squall was asleep, Seifer could pull him as close as he wanted.

-0-

Odine had thoughtfully provided the SeeDs with a couple magic-sealing bracelets for when they would be bringing the Sorceress to Esthar, and they'd snapped them onto Rinoa before they brought her out of the solitary cell. They'd also hit her with another Sleep spell, just to be safe.

Seifer had explained his thoughts about himself and Squall not carrying Rinoa to the other three while they'd been working on things for the Garden Festival, and they'd agreed that it was a reasonable precaution, so Zell and Irvine would be taking turns carrying the Sorceress and Selphie would have the job of watching her during any breaks on the road. Overnight, it would be up to whoever had watch to keep an eye on her, Seifer and Squall included, but there wasn't much they could do about that.

Edea and Cid were waiting on the second floor deck when the five SeeDs arrived, Zell carrying Rinoa. There was an uncomfortable moment where no one seemed to know exactly what to say – what sort of goodbye this was or even if it was deserving of anything more than a brief wave.

And then, Squall stepped forward and took Edea's hands in his and said, "We won't let you down. No matter when or where we end up."

Edea smiled and leaned up to leave a kiss on his cheek. "I know you won't. You haven't yet."

Squall squeezed her hands and nodded once before stepping back and offering a salute to Cid. "Headmaster Kramer."

Cid smiled and returned the salute. "Bring them back safely, Commander Leonhart."

"Leave me somewhere to return to with them and I'll do what I can," Squall replied, voice a little sharp.

Cid laughed. "I'll do what I can."

"Be safe, my children," Edea murmured, moving among them to hug each of them and drop a kiss on their cheek, both Irvine and Seifer having to lean down for her. "I'm proud of all of you," she added, stepping back to let them pass.

Squall took the lead up the crane and down into the city. He fell back to walk with the others as they passed through to the far side, nothing but track, the ocean, and the sky ahead of them.

"That was even more cryptic than usual," Seifer commented once Squall was walking with them.

"Matron and I enjoy speaking in code just to rile you," Squall replied, deadpan.

"Matron wouldn't do something like that," Selphie complained.

"Whatever."

Irvine chuckled. "Squall's never gonna tell us anything. Might as well just wait 'til we return and ask Matron."

Selphie's expression fell for a moment, then her eyes lit and she grabbed onto Squall's arm. "So, you and Seify, huh?"

"Can we _not_ talk about that?" Zell asked.

"Problem, Chicken-wuss?" Seifer wondered, an unholy gleam in his eyes.

"Don't taunt Zell while he's carrying Rinoa," Squall ordered.

Zell shot Seifer a smug look and hoisted Rinoa higher on his back. Seifer wisely backed off, choosing to walk on the other side of the group from the shorter blond.

" _Squally_ ," Selphie demanded, tugging on Squall's arm.

Squall sighed. "Yes, Seifer and me."

Selphie's face lit up. "Since when? How'd it happen? Have you had sex yet?"

Zell and Seifer let out identical chokes. Irvine burst out laughing.

Squall rubbed at his scar. "Two days. I told him he was worth saving and he kissed me. No."

"I think I need to scrub my brain," Zell complained.

"That's so romantic!" Selphie squealed, as if Zell hadn't spoken. She turned to Seifer, who was determinately looking away from the rest of them, and declared, "You _are_ worth saving, Seify!"

"...Can we talk about something else now?" Seifer wondered.

Selphie grinned and leaned a bit more on Squall's arm, making walking awkward. "I think Seify's embarrassed," she said in a stage whisper.

"What about you and Kinneas?" Seifer asked a bit loudly, looking pointedly at the small woman hanging off Squall's arm.

"Huh? Irvy and me?" Selphie glanced at the cowboy, who shot her a fond smile, then back at Seifer. "We're best friends!"

Seifer nodded. "Of course you are."

Selphie tugged on Squall's arm. "Why is he looking at me like he doesn't believe me?"

"When we were four, you talked Irvine into practising kissing with you," Squall explained evenly. "You liked it so much, you declared that you were going to marry him and talked us into holding a wedding. Your favourite doll presided."

Selphie flushed a bright red. "I did _not_!"

"Oh, yes you _did_ ," Seifer replied, eyes lighting with the chance to tease the young woman. "Trepe and Sis were your flower girls, I gave you away, Squall was the ring-bearer and Chicken-wuss was the best man. You dragged out all our toys to be the audience and Matron took photos."

"Wait, I remember that!" Zell exclaimed. "You pushed me and I landed on my favourite lorry." He shot Seifer a heated glare. "That really _hurt_."

Seifer smiled smugly.

Selphie looked at Irvine with wide eyes. "I _married_ you?" she asked.

Irvine shrugged. "I don't remember it, but it doesn't sound like they're making it up."

"I can repeat your vows for you, if you want," Seifer offered.

"Please don't," Zell complained. "I had to stand there and listen to Irvine repeat his over and over and over again until he had it memorised."

"I did?" Irvine wondered, brow furrowed in thought.

"You weren't an unwilling participant," Squall offered drily.

"Of course not. Who could deny Selphie?"

"Seifer," Zell said without missing a beat.

"Sorry, Chicken-wuss, but even I am slave to the charms of the lovely Mrs Kinneas," Seifer replied while Irvine and Selphie laughed.

"Squally!" Selphie cried, tugging on Squall's arm again. "Make him stop teasing me!"

"I can't make Seifer do things he doesn't want to do," Squall informed her with a touch of irony. "Trust me, I've tried."

"Dock his pay!" Zell called.

"I'm an instructor, Dincht," Seifer said, amused. "That means _Cid_ controls my pay, not the Princess."

Selphie pouted a bit, then exclaimed, "I know! You can tell us about what Seify said that had you telling him he was worth being saved!"

Seifer choked and looked helplessly at Squall. Because, yeah, he'd behave to keep that between them.

Squall glanced at him, eyes dark with understanding. "No," he told Selphie in a coldly serious voice, "that's between Seifer and myself."

Selphie deflated a bit and dropped her head to rest against Squall's shoulder, hating the darkness in both his and Seifer's eyes. _'I wish I could take all the pain you both lived through and make it go away. I wish you'd smile sometimes, Squall. I wish no one had to tell Seifer he's worth saving. I wish we could go back in time and just be kids again, playing war and having weddings. I wish life didn't hurt so much...'_

Squall's free hand came around to rest lightly on top of Selphie's head and she smiled at that. _'Maybe life isn't easy, but at least we're together to face it.'_ She squeezed Squall's arm once in thanks, then let go to walk on her own. _'We five can do **anything** together.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, technically, it doesn't seem that you need to be a SeeD to be an instructor – sensible, since the place has only been around for twelve years, give or take – but I did it anyway. So, XP


	10. Forever's Never Too Long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I sort of avoided Odine's long explanation of what they would do to get to Ultimecia, because it makes my brain hurt.
> 
> I took the black holes from [emcey squared](http://www.fanfiction.net/u/987676/emcey_squared)'s [Second Chances](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5616802/1/Second_Chances), I will admit. The visuals worked better than the little grim reaper/angel things that appeared in game. Or whatever the fuck those were.

They were just setting down for their second and final night when the tracks rumbled warningly. The five SeeDs were immediately on their feet, weapons out and eyes searching through the dusk to find the danger.

"Oh, shit..." Zell whispered, spotting the hulking mass moving slowly towards the Esthar continent.

"Maybe we should come back in another week," Seifer said drily as they all slid their weapons away. "Looks like Esthar's got bigger things on their hands than a possessed Sorceress."

"How right you are, my Knight," a silky voice said from behind them.

Five Sleep spells knocked into the Sorceress and she toppled over.

"Squall? Seifer?" Irvine asked as Zell knelt next to Rinoa's prone form to ensure she wasn't dead from a magical overload.

"Fine," both gunbladers replied.

Zell glanced up at them and nodded. "She'll live. Pulse is a bit weak, but she should be okay."

Squall nodded and looked back towards the giant monolith moving steadily east. "Now, what in Hyne's name is that?"

"And why is Ultimecia so excited about it?" Seifer added.

"The only way to find out is to go to Esthar," Irvine offered.

"We'll have to keep a close eye on Rinoa," Selphie commented as she attached herself to Irvine's arm. "We shouldn't have had to hit her with another Sleep spell for a few hours yet. So either that thing woke her, or she's developing a resistance to them."

"Either way, it takes a particularly _special_ person to break through five Sleeps," Zell muttered as he joined the rest of them in watching the large object in the distance.

Squall shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances. Seifer, Irvine, when you're on watch, hit her with an occasional Scan and keep an eye on her."

"Sure thing," Irvine agreed.

Seifer nodded. "Let's eat," he suggested. "There's nothing we can do about that thing right now."

-0-

A car appeared almost as soon as they stepped off the transport from the Esthar entrance. The man who stepped out looked relieved beyond words. "Thank Hyne," he said. "Please, get in."

The SeeDs traded sharp looks, then all stepped into the car. "You seem relieved to see us," Squall commented once they were moving. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that monolith we saw headed this way yesterday, would it?"

Their driver gave a nervous laugh. "I'll let the President explain the situation, if it's all the same."

"We get to meet the President?" Selphie wondered, easily excited. "Cool!"

"The President was in space last time," Irvine offered to the bemused gunbladers, "but we met Kiros in the Palace. He's one of the Presidential Advisors."

"Kiros?" Seifer repeated, confused.

"You think Laguna is here?" Squall asked.

"And the reason for those dreams," Irvine agreed.

Seifer nudged Squall. "Stop being cryptic."

Squall frowned in thought for a moment, then decided that, no, he _hadn't_ told Seifer about the dreams. "We've been having something of a shared dream," he explained, motioning to encompass the other three SeeDs as well, "about these three Galbadian soldiers who lived around the time of the Sorceress War: Kiros Seagill, Ward Zabac, and Laguna Loire."

Seifer blinked. "Loire? He was the Sorceress Knight in that film we watched as kids."

"The one that gave you your 'romantic dream'?" Squall asked drily.

"Shut up."

"Yeah, we saw him filming that thing," Irvine said with a grin. "Ward and Kiros were supposed to be putting on a dragon suit because the normal actor was out sick or something, but then a real Ruby Dragon showed up and they had to fight it."

"I hope we get to meet Sir Laguna," Selphie said with a dreamy sigh. "He's so _handsome_..."

"He's not too bad, I suppose," Seifer agreed.

"He's an idiot," Squall informed them, making the other three SeeDs who'd enjoyed the dream laugh.

At the entrance to the Palace, they were met by a stressed guard who led them straight to the President's office. "Sir," he called as he let them in, "the SeeDs are here."

The group stepped inside, but before a proper meeting could get under way, a voice called, "Squall?"

The young Commander turned, eyes widening as he recognised the woman standing there. "Sis..." he breathed.

"Sis!" Selphie shouted, running forward and hugging Ellone while the others looked suitably surprised and pleased to see her.

Ellone laughed and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the SeeDs. "Hey, Selphie. Irvine, Zell, Seifer. It's good to see you all again."

"What are you doing here, Sis?" Selphie asked, drawing back.

"I came here to see Uncle Laguna," Ellone explained.

At that, the man himself walked over in comfortable clothing very unlike the usual Estharian robes, his hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Er, hi. So you're all Elle's friends? Foster siblings?"

"That's us!" Selphie agreed, stars in her eyes.

Squall glanced between Laguna and Ellone for a moment before he asked, "Sis, can you tell us about the dreams we were experiencing?"

"Huh?" Irvine and Zell chorused.

Ellone's smile turned nervous. "That was me. I was, uhm, trying to change something in the past, but it didn't work out. Thing is, you can't actually change the past."

"Sis, you were the one sending us back?" Zell asked, looking completely befuddled.

Ellone nodded. "I'm sorry if it caused trouble for you all."

Laguna waved his hand at that. "Never mind that." He glanced back towards the group of young men, zeroing in on Rinoa, who was slung across Irvine's back. "That's the Sorceress?"

"Yes," Squall agreed. "We'd like to get her sealed as soon as possible."

Laguna grimaced and rubbed at the back of his head. "About that... Well, I've heard most of the story from what you lot told Odine last time you were here, and I was thinking about maybe using her to reach this Ultimecia?"

Squall's eyes narrowed. "Travelling into our future to attack her in her own time?"

"Yes and no." Laguna shook her head. "If we were to let her accomplish Time Compression, we could travel to _her_ , theoretically. Odine certainly seems to believe it's possible." He smiled faintly. "But we'd need a couple of accomplished fighters to face her; I don't suppose I could hire SeeD for that?"

"I think we can figure out a contract," Squall agreed.

"...Squall?" a quiet voice called.

Squall, Seifer, and Zell spun towards Irvine, Sleep spells on the tips of their tongues. But when they were met with wide brown eyes instead of the disturbingly knowing gold eyes they were used to, they paused.

"Rinoa?" Seifer asked carefully.

The young woman blinked at him, then her eyes widened and she shoved at Irvine's shoulder. "Squall, he's the Sorceress' Knight!"

" _Ex_ -Knight," Squall growled, getting tired of correcting people about that.

Seifer dropped a hand on Squall's shoulder, silently shushing him. "Rinoa, what's the last thing you remember?"

Rinoa blinked, still looking distrustful, but answered, "Galbadia Garden. I was following _you_. Trying to find out what you were up to. Bastard."

Squall face palmed. "Rinoa, I sent you with Irvine to stay _out_ of trouble, not run off and _find it_."

"But–!"

"You don't remember anything about Ultimecia?" Seifer interrupted before Rinoa could try arguing her way out of that hole.

"Ultimecia?" Rinoa wondered, brown eyes blanking. "Ul...ti...me..." Her eyes went wide with realisation and she started hyperventilating.

"Zell!" Squall shouted and the blond brawler slammed a Sleep on the Sorceress, having circled around behind Irvine to have a clear shot if they needed it.

"I'm thinking she's not possessed any more," Seifer commented into the silence following Zell's spell.

Irvine shook his head. "Her magic was too chaotic. Ultimecia's magic is more controlled, more direct, even through the bangles. Just now, though, it was jumping all over the place."

"That's... a problem..." Laguna decided.

"Ultimecia's jumped bodies again," Squall agreed, turning back to the President. "I don't suppose you might have any ideas about where she could have gone?"

Laguna nodded, expression grim. "The giant monolith that passed over Esthar last night is called the Lunatic Pandora and it can be used to create a Lunar Cry. That Lunar Cry happened this morning, and one of the things it brought down was Adel's Tomb."

" _Sorceress_ Adel?" Irvine demanded as he moved towards a couch to set Rinoa down.

"The same. She's been in a cryogenic slumber; that's how we seal Sorceresses."

"Matron said something about Adel not being dead," Squall recalled. "So if Ultimecia has left Rinoa, that means she's probably in Adel, who's awoken."

"This is under the 'really not good' heading, isn't it?" Zell wondered tiredly.

"The _last_ thing we need is _two_ psycho bitches running around in one body," Seifer agreed grimly.

"Adel should still be relatively weak if she's just awoken," Squall mused, possibilities flashing behind quicksilver eyes. "If we get to her quickly, we can take her out before she manages to make any plans a reality, but we need a way into that monolith."

"We can provide that," Laguna assured him. "The Lunar Cry brought down an old space ship of ours that got overrun with monsters. Most of them died in the crash, and those that didn't have already been dealt with. She needs a couple repairs still, but she can fly fine without them as long as you stay in the atmosphere."

Squall nodded. "Good. If you would be willing to accompany us to this ship, President Loire, we can discuss the rest of this plan on the way. I assume it includes Sis?"

"It does," Laguna agreed. "And I'd like to go to the Pandora with you, if you don't have any complaints."

"Not alone, you're not," Kiros snapped from where he and Ward had been standing back to listen it.

Squall waved a hand at that, not caring one way or the other who came with them, as long as they stayed out of the way when the time came. He turned to his team, ordering, "We're going to have to bring Rinoa to accept Ultimecia back again. Selphie, could you try explaining things to her while we're en route? I'd like her to be willing, but we don't have a lot of options right now."

Selphie nodded. "I'll do what I can," she promised before moving to help Irvine get the Sorceress back on his back.

Zell cleared his throat a bit uncomfortably as they all started moving towards the door. "Hey, Squall?"

The Commander turned with an eyebrow raised in silent inquiry.

Zell rubbed at the back of his head. "Could we stop by a weapons shop? I kind of need new gloves, especially if we're going to go facing a couple uber bitches."

"We could probably _all_ use an upgrade," Selphie offered carefully, reaching back to finger a small crack at one end of her Flail.

"There's a shopping district on the way to the Airstation," Laguna offered.

Squall sighed and nodded. "Very well."

Seifer dropped an arm around Squall's shoulders as they finally moved towards the entrance, where Kiros had called a car to wait for them. "You can finally get that pretty blue blade you've been drooling over for the past four years," the blond murmured.

Squall snorted. "Whatever."

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Squally, if you don't buy the damn thing, I'll buy it _for_ you. It's a good weapon."

Squall sighed. "I'll buy it, Seifer."

Seifer grinned and let go, pleased.

-0-

Travelling through the Lunatic Pandora was no fun, especially when working against the clock. On one hand, Selphie and Squall had gone through the maze before in their dream, so they had at least _some_ knowledge of the layout. On the other hand, it had been turned on its side and everything was the wrong way around.

To make matters more interesting, they were travelling with Ellone and Rinoa, who were both basically non-combatants. Laguna, Ward, and Kiros were bringing up their rear at a distance, staying just in sight of the main party and ready to dash in and get Rinoa and Ellone out of the crossfire if they came upon something more dangerous than the occasional low-level monster. They'd originally discussed having the two women travel with the rearguard, but it was agreed that the five SeeDs could protect them better than the three older men.

When they finally reached the room Adel was still waking in, they found themselves faced with someone they'd almost expected to meet up with.

"Quisty?" Ellone whispered as the five SeeDs grimly got between the whip-wielding woman and the two non-combatants.

"She's under Ultimecia's control," Selphie offered quietly. "Look at her eyes."

Indeed, Quistis' blue eyes, once so bright, had coloured over with a gleam of golden insanity. She snapped her whip towards Seifer, grin just a little too mad. "Has the traitor returned to beg forgiveness?" she mocked.

"I wouldn't return to that bitch if she was the only person left in the whole of creation," Seifer spat.

Quistis laughed. "But she is such a wonderful mistress. So forgiving." Her eyes turned towards Squall, burning with hatred, now. "So many little mistakes are forgiven by a _good_ leader, _Commander_ ," she hissed, Squall's title dripping like acid off her tongue.

"Mistakes are forgiven once you've learned from them, SeeD Trepe," Squall replied evenly. "Only poor leaders allow their subordinates to make mistakes that put non-combatants in the line of fire without dealing out some form of punishment. Surely you're not so far gone that you're unable to realise that?"

Quistis took an angry step forward, whip raised. Before she could bring it down on Squall, a blue form slipped between Squall and Selphie, tackling the rogue SeeD to the ground. "Quistis!" Rinoa shouted, grabbing the woman's face. " _Look at me_!" Magic flared around the two for a moment and the group of SeeDs had to look away or chance being blinded.

When they looked back, they found Quistis sitting up and holding Rinoa in a tight hug, eyes a normal blue and damp with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Seifer lowered his weapon first, frowning. "Huh."

"Huh?" Zell repeated. "What?"

"Seifer?" Selphie asked.

"Trepe is Rinoa's Knight. We thought she was just being controlled by Ultimecia, but they actually formed a Knight Bond, and the crazy bitch twisted it," Seifer offered, far more attuned to the complications of Sorceress magic than any of the others.

"The fledgling Sorceress reached out for some form of stability," Laguna suggested as he and his friends joined the group, "and the first person to offer that became her Knight."

"No wonder blocking Rinoa's magic didn't bring Quistis back," Zell said. "We were thinking it was just a last-minute attempt by Ultimecia when she couldn't get Squall, but it was an actual bond."

A cracking sound drew all their attention to where Adel's fingers were reaching through the sealing on her tomb, fevered red eyes intent on Rinoa and Quistis.

"There'll be time for a reunion later!" Irvine shouted at the two oblivious women on the floor as he cocked Exeter. "Get back!"

Rinoa and Quistis scrambled to their feet as Irvine fired a shot towards Adel. The four melee SeeDs darted past them, determination lining their faces as they headed for the emerging Sorceress.

"I can fight," Quistis insisted as Rinoa pulled her behind the cowboy as Irvine fired another round. "I _should_ be fighting."

"Nothing against your abilities, Quistis," Irvine interrupted as he reloaded, "but you should be out of the crossfire right now. We don't need you slowing us down."

"I wouldn't slow you down!" Quistis hissed.

Irvine nodded his chin towards the fighters performing an intricate dance on the platform a little above them. "Sure about that?"

Quistis stared at the SeeDs flowing so smoothly around each other, moving with the certainty born of many a battle together and their knowledge of who would be moving where, when. Seifer and Squall had trained together for so long that they never had to question who would move next, and Selphie, Zell, and Irvine had travelled together and fought in enough battles together that they moved practically as one unit. It had taken surprisingly little effort for the two groups to learn to fight together, as if they'd always been meant to do so.

"We're better off back here," Rinoa murmured, holding her Knight's hand and nibbling her lower lip. "I tried to tell them I could fight, too, but Squall told me I could either stay out of the fighting all together or leave my weapon behind." Quistis' hand tightened on hers and the Sorceress said, "He's a good leader." She may not have cared for Squall's aloof personality, but she'd seen the way the others adored him and the ease with which he'd taken control when it was necessary, both through the haze of Ultimecia's control and during their trip to the Lunatic Pandora.

Quistis' lips thinned. "I know that," she whispered back. But after so much time under Ultimecia's control, with the Sorceress putting so much emphasis on her disgruntlement for the punishment Squall had brought down on her head, it was hard to think of him in a good light.

"Quistis, you're going to want to stand back," Irvine warned, watching as Squall cast the finishing blow and Adel let out a hair-raising scream.

When Quistis didn't seem like she would let go of the Sorceress' hand, Rinoa pulled away and stepped in front of Irvine, terrified determination filling her face. She was just in time, as the Sorceress magic rose from Adel's crumpling form and hovered uncertainly for a moment – Seifer ducked forward and pulled Selphie out of the way before the magic got any ideas – before flying forward into Rinoa and making her body jerk.

Rinoa managed a gasp, then her eyes lit with gold and she moved the arm with her weapon up towards where Seifer was helping Selphie to her feet.

"Sis!" Squall shouted and Rinoa's gold eyes turned to him, fury and _need_ making her hesitate just long enough for Ellone to send her back to the younger Adel.

When Rinoa returned, Quistis had moved to support her and Irvine had moved to join the other four SeeDs a few paces in front of them.

"Love, friendship, and courage!" Laguna shouted as reality began to twist. "You can do it!"

"The orphanage," Selphie reminded her friends and they all nodded, closing their eyes against the dizzying changes that were ripping their world apart.

-0-

Squall was in the lead as they entered Ultimecia's tower. All five were covered in blood and innards from the monsters they'd faced during their trek through the castle halls and they'd all taken numerous hits of their own, leaving behind cuts and bruises mostly healed with quickly swallowed potions or a hastily cast spell. None of them were fresh, but Ultimecia was.

"So, the traitor and the kursed SeeDs have arrived," Ultimecia commented from her high seat. "You have kome to stop me, but you will never manage. I will not be stopped by mere children!" She floated down to the floor before where the group had readied their weapons in grim silence. "The price for your foolish attempt shall be death beyond death. I shall send you to a dimension beyond your imagining. There, I will reign, and you will be my slaves for eternity!"

Her mad laugh was cut off by the crack of a shot and she just barely managed to block it before Squall and Zell were on her, fists and gunblade swinging. Seifer and Selphie followed, their greater reaches letting them move behind the other two without getting in their way.

"I will not be stopped!" Ultimecia screamed, jumping up into the air and just out of the reach of everyone except Irvine, who quickly reloaded and aimed. "The most powerful GF!" the Sorceress shouted before Irvine could fire and Squall waved the shooter back as she started a summoning, calling forth a terribly familiar form. "You shall... SUFFER!"

"Irvine, keep on Ultimecia!" Squall directed while the rest of them turned to the new threat.

Griever was just starting to slow down when it managed to get a good swipe with one over-large paw in and Seifer was thrown away from the battle. Before he could even get to his feet, Ultimecia had swooped down on him, black wings showering the ground with feathers that turned into black holes of nothing under his feet.

" _SEIFER!_ " Selphie screamed as the ex-Knight fell from sight. Her distraction cost her and she was soon sent flying by Griever.

Ultimecia swooped down on her new prey, only to find herself under fire from Irvine, who slammed her with his small stock of Ultima spells, giving Selphie enough time to jump to her feet and out of the way of the growing black holes on the ground.

In revenge for Irvine's actions, Ultimecia swooped down on him, taking a shot through the stomach before dropping him down a dark hole into the nothingness.

With blood seeping from her stomach, Ultimecia turned to Griever and melded with him while the three remaining SeeDs grimly regrouped. They all refused to look towards the dark holes that had swallowed their friends, sick with the thought that they were truly dead.

But then they were fighting again, ducking Griever's over-large paws and Ultimecia's magic as they tried to lay a wound on her with weapons or magic, refusing to give up.

At long last, the Ultimecia-Griever combo fell, a black hole forming beneath her and sucking her in.

"Is it over?" Zell gasped into the following silence.

"Seifer... Irvine..." Selphie whispered, looking back towards the gaping holes.

Squall grit his teeth, keeping his eyes on the hole Ultimecia had fallen through. _'They'll be okay. They **have** to be okay. Defeat Ultimecia and that dimension she was going on about should never exist. They'll return home. We'll all return home... Fuck! Seifer, you promised me!'_

It was only because he'd been so intent on the hole in front of them that he saw the skeleton wings forming from the darkness. "Watch out!" he shouted, tightening his grip on Lion Heart.

"I am Ultimecia," the woman intoned as she fully appeared, the world swirling dangerously around them. "Time shall compress... All existence denied."

"Pandemona!" Zell shouted and the GF jumped into the fray, only to be sucked into Ultimecia's form.

"Don't use GFs!" Squall ordered, readying an Ultima.

Selphie cast a quick succession of Triples on all three of them, giving them the chance to cast magic quicker than before. When a lower half to the Sorceress appeared, Selphie considered the magic the bitch held, then shouted, "Apocalypse!" and they all watched in awe as a violent spell ripped the air around them, making Ultimecia scream.

The battle was impossibly long, yet it went so quickly. All of time seemed to both speed up and slow down and there was no sense to the world, just the three of them fighting a monster of a woman with a spell that shouldn't exist, yet did.

At Ultimecia's final scream, the world flashed white and there was nothing. Even the three remaining SeeDs had vanished from sight, but their voices echoed over and around each other:

"Is it over?" Irvine wondered. "Let's go! Let's go back to our time!"

"Shut up! Just calm down and think where we have to go!" Selphie called.

"Careful, guys!" Zell cautioned. "Don't pick the wrong time!"

"Let's go home!" Seifer said. "Let's go back where we belong!"

Squall stumbled forward into blackness. _'Seifer!'_

"I'm gonna find Sis!" a young voice called, breaking through the shadows as Squall's child-self ran past him.

_'What?'_

"Squall!" Edea called, appearing in the near distance as the world Squall had grown up in appeared around them.

 _'Matron...'_ Squall realised.

"Excuse me, have you seen a little boy?" the woman asked, stepping closer to Squall. She looked worried for the missing child, but also worried for the wounds seeping blood that covered the man in front of her.

Squall shook his head. "You don't have to worry," he promised her. "The boy won't go anywhere."

"I think so too. Poor boy..." She sighed and turned her attention on the Squall in front of her, concern lighting brown eyes.

Ultimecia stumbled into being behind Edea and Squall immediately reached for his gunblade, which had somehow returned to his holster. "You're alive?"

"The Sorceress?" Edea wondered as Squall drew his weapon and got between the two Sorceresses.

"Yes, Matron. We had defeated her, but... Please, stand back."

"It's okay. There's no more need to fight," Edea soothed, stepping forward and around Squall. "That Sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her powers on to. In order to die in peace, a Sorceress must be free of all her powers. I know... for I am one, too. I shall take that Sorceress' powers. I don't want one of the children to become one."

"I...can't...disappear yet," Ultimecia gasped before her powers jumped from her weakened body and into Edea.

"Matron!" Squall called, stepping forward to steady her as she stumbled.

Edea touched a hand to her head and wondered, "Is this...the end?"

"...Most likely," Squall allowed.

Edea nodded, then turned sharp eyes on the young man at her elbow. "You called me Matron. Who...are you?"

Squall paused for a moment, then said, "A SeeD. A SeeD from Balamb Garden."

"SeeD? Garden?"

"Both Garden and SeeD were your ideas," Squall explained, knowing it was something he needed to do. "Garden trains SeeDs. SeeDs are trained to defeat the Sorceress."

"What are you saying?" Edea shook her head. "You're...that boy from the future?"

"...Matron," Squall whispered, pleading and agreeing all at once.

"Please return," Edea denied. "You do not belong here."

The child version of Squall reappeared, face covered in snot and tears. "...I can't find Sis. ...Am I...all alone?" he whimpered, rubbing at his eyes. Then he seemed to notice the older version of himself and he took a half-step back. "Who's he?"

"Nobody," Edea soothed, stepping forward to comfort her young charge. "You don't need to know. The only Squall permitted here is you." She glanced back at the older Squall behind her, concern and love glowing in her eyes. "Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself?"

Squall nodded and offered her a salute before the world faded away into darkness. _'I'll be all right, Matron,'_ he promised into the silence, _'because I'm not alone...'_

The darkness faded into a desert and Squall closed his eyes, envisioning his friends as he remembered them to be... Selphie running around on the quad, directing people this way and that and perfecting everything for her Festival... Irvine walking up to Selphie and dropping his hat on her head, laughing when she peeked up at him from under it with a flirty smile... Zell, a hot dog in each hand while he laughed at a cafeteria table with a couple of other Balamb Townies... Seifer, surrounded by the gunblade students as he directed them in how to hold their weapons 'properly'... Seifer looking up, a brief flash of surprise in tired green eyes, then a relieved smile... _"Squall..."_

"Squall!"

"Commander!"

"Someone get Doctor Kadowaki!"

Squall's eyes snapped open and he found himself looking up into scared green eyes ringed by the bruises of sleepless night after sleepless night. "Seifer...?" he realised.

Seifer drew him into a tight embrace, acting for all the world as if he'd found something that he'd thought lost. "You're alive," the blond whispered. "Oh, thank Hyne, you're alive..."

Squall slipped his arms around Seifer's back and dropped his head against the blond's shoulder. "I'm home..." he murmured, relieved, and the larger man tightened his grip.

"You're home," Seifer agreed. And if his voice sounded just a little bit choked, Squall wasn't about to hold it against him.

-0-0-0-  
Owari  
-0-0-0-0-0-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about trying an epilogue for this thing, but now I'm not so sure. It sort of wrapped itself up. (Which means all but, like, two of you are going to start demanding more. *eye roll* The two of you that are content and I will be over there– *points in a random direction* –eating cookies and ignoring the rest of your whining. XD)
> 
>   
> _  
> What about...?  
> _  
> 
> 
>  _RE: How long Squall was gone for?_ Not sure. No less than a week, no longer than two months. Either way, it was hell on Garden and his friends. Especially on Seifer, who kept on only because he needed something to do that kept him from worrying and thinking about why Squall was still gone. Edea's assurances that she'd seen him in the past helped a bit, so they knew he survived Ultimecia, at any rate, but that didn't explain why he was still missing.
> 
>  _RE: Rinoa and Quistis?_ Both women decided to leave Garden for the foreseeable future. They left promises to keep in contact with Garden, since Rinoa _is_ a Sorceress and therefore a possible security risk, but otherwise they're on their own. Rinoa wanted to return to Timber and finally see to its independence and Quistis agreed to go with her, leaving her SeeD rank and identification behind.
> 
>  _RE: Selphie and Irvine?_ Oh, yeah, they'll totally get together. Eventually. But they're going to take it a little slower, this time. No weddings right after the first kiss and all. XD
> 
>  _RE: Cid and Edea?_ In this world, Cid has no intention in leaving his post _quite_ yet, especially with Squall still missing. Even once the Commander has returned, he intends to hang around. And Edea plans to stay, too. She wants to watch her kids live their lives and be happy together.
> 
>  _RE: Laguna, Ellone, Kiros, and Ward?_ They're in Esthar, of course. Yeah, Laguna visits Raine's grave like he did in the ending credits. Ellone eventually gets Laguna and Squall together as father and son and things are freakin' _awkward_. This is _so_ not helped by Seifer, who finds the whole mess too funny for words.
> 
> I _think_ that's everything you people should care about? Not quite enough for an epilogue, at any rate.


End file.
